Drug resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) develops when microbes become resistant to medicines. They are widely recognized as significant global health security threat and may return the humanity back to a pre-antibiotic era, where effective treatment of common infections was not available. AMR expands through many infectious diseases and in all parts of the world. It seriously impacts economies and development process particularly in developing world. It is of utmost concern that emergence of new multi-drug resistant pathogens is fast outpacing available solutions.

A combination of overuse and misuse of antimicrobial drugs in both people and animals promotes the selection and emergence of resistant pathogens. In the animal husbandry, unregulated and uncontrolled distribution and sales of antibiotics also contribute to their misuse and overuse. In other situations, suboptimal treatment such as failure to complete a course of antimicrobials, or medicines or low quality (e.g. counterfeit drugs) may cause new or increased resistance.

The problem has been created by irresponsible use of antibiotics in human and animal health sectors. The solution then demands close collaboration between the two sectors to preserve the efficacy of current antibiotics by promoting responsible use of antibiotics.