Antimicrobial medications are essential components of modern medicine, helping to treat infections and ensure safe medical treatments. A variety of factors have contributed to their advancement in the treatment of infectious diseases.
Experts in the field indicated that antimicrobial medications play a vital role in various medical operations, including surgery, chemotherapy, and organ transplants. Even regular medical care might result in hazardous infections that endanger patient safety if effective antimicrobials are not available.
However, antimicrobials are useful for treating infections, but, some bacteria have evolved resistance to all known antimicrobial medications. This resulted in a significant decline in the discovery of new antimicrobial medications, leaving healthcare professionals with limited options.
In fact, the history of antimicrobial medications began in 1928, when Alexander Fleming developed the penicillin antibiotic. For his ground-breaking contribution, he received the Nobel Prize in 1945 and delivered a spectacular speech warning that bacteria/germs may undermine antibiotic immune systems over time. As a result, the development of antibiotic-resistant medicines in the 1940s and 1950s demonstrated that his speech and hypothesis were true.
Pharmaceutical companies have been creating new antimicrobial medications for decades in response to issues with antibiotic resistance. However, it is regarded as a weakness of the medications in improper circumstances, such as when they are unable to treat viral infections.
In addition to harming people, antibiotic resistance has an impact on the agriculture industry.
The issue of antibiotic resistance is thought to have been significantly exacerbated by the use of pesticides in agriculture, particularly in animal farming. Because drugs are used to support animal growth in addition to treating illnesses. Therefore, the widespread use of antimicrobial medications raises the chance of resistance and spreads these resistant strains to people through the food chain.
Taking these facts into account, various efforts have been made by different organizations, individuals, and others. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) advised a variety of strategies to mitigate the negative impact of Antimicrobial resistance.
Among others, the following are noteworthy. Controlling antibiotic use is one strategy for preventing antibiotic resistance. This involves monitoring prescriptions to ensure that existing antibiotics are only used as needed. Furthermore, researching and developing new antibiotics, particularly ones originating from nature and proven to combat bacteria throughout millions of years of development is a key method for preventing antibiotic resistance. It is critical to not only find but also distribute them creatively to effectively reverse antimicrobial resistance.
It is particularly critical to adopt standards because bacteriophages, or viruses that attack bacteria, represent a promising technique to cure infections without hurting human cells. Furthermore, it is important to create vaccinations against common bacterial infections that can help prevent disease before it occurs.
Along with international strategies and mechanisms, preventing the problem of antimicrobial resistance requires a lot of effort. However, the most essential question that needs to be addressed is what needs to be done to help developing countries permanently overcome the problem.
Indeed, Africa is the principal victim of the problem since the necessary support is not being given to the continent. Ethiopia is also affected by the problem which causes economic and social pressures that impact many people’s lives.
Hence, antimicrobial resistance is a global issue that necessitates a worldwide solution. Because antibiotics are unprofitable, thus many large pharmaceutical companies have stopped producing them. Even when small businesses successfully bring new drugs to market, they struggle to stay afloat. As a result, it is critical to address the shortage of funds through international collaboration, which is a significant impediment to the development of new antibiotics.
Moreover, antibiotic research and development should be funded by governments. It is also important to implement stricter regulations on the use of antibiotics in agriculture and healthcare. Besides, campaigns to educate the public about the appropriate use of antibiotics should be launched since bacteria are not confined to boundaries. To avoid and address the issue, countries have to exchange information and preventative measures.
In general, antimicrobial resistance is a complicated and growing concern that requires immediate attention. Understanding prior efforts to avert the problem allows for the implementation of successful antibiotic resistance methods. It is also critical to raise prescription knowledge among pharmacists and patients, invest appropriately in new medication discovery, strengthen creative thinking, and foster international cooperation to conserve valuable medicines for future generations.
BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2024
