Antibiotic Resistance; A Threat to Public Health in Nigeria.

 By Pharm Chiamaka Jibuaku

"Abeg give me ampiclox I want to wash my system, I had unprotected sex with that girl, I no trust these girls, I take am every time I have unprotected sex".

He continues..."Maybe like three capsules or two capsules will be fine, u na they cut ba?”...

Errhmm, well I just want to let you know Oga and madam that overuse and misuse of antibiotics can cause antibiotics resistance. In fact, the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiprotozoal drugs especially antimalarial agents can cause what we generally call - Antimicrobial resistance.

Many times we use antibiotics unnecessarily, we use it for infections not caused by bacteria. Some even use it as a contraceptive, I have no idea where they got the information from. The issue of self-medication is also on the increase, these habits generally increase the ability of causative microbes to develop resistance to the antimicrobials that were once used to treat them.

What is Antibiotic resistance?.

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections and it is to be taken only when prescribed by a certified health professional. When prescribed, it is very necessary to complete the full dose to avoid antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist the effects of antibiotics to which they were once sensitive. The bacteria automatically changes and becomes resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. These changes can be in the form of mutation, gene transfer between bacteria, or some adaptive changes that help them develop resistance to common antibiotics.
However, with the rapid increase in the rate of antibiotics resistance globally, there is a possibility that one day no antibiotics may be left to fight life-threatening diseases caused by bacteria. If antibiotics lose their effectiveness, this means that we lose the ability to treat infections and control public health threats thereby increasing the chance of fatality due to untreatable infections. Also, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, intensive care for pre-term new-borns, diabetes management and major surgeries like caesarean sections or hip replacement will become very high risk. Antibiotics resistance as well increases the cost of health care due to prolonged stays of the patients in hospitals requiring more intensive care.

 

Causes of Antibiotic Resistance ;

. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics example; the use of antibiotics to treat viral infections like colds and flu.
. Use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animals or used to prevent diseases in healthy animals.
. Overprescribing of antibiotics and overuse when not needed.
. Patients not finishing their antibiotics treatment.
. Poor infection control in hospitals and clinics.
. Lack of hygiene and poor sanitation.
. Lack of new antibiotics being developed.
. Uncontrolled access to antibiotics.
. Use of poor quality antibiotics and substandard antibiotics in the treatment of diseases.

 

How can we possibly manage antibiotic resistance considering its rapid spread globally ?.

WHAT THE PATIENT CAN DO?.

. Make sure you use antibiotics only when prescribed by a certified health professional.
. Always take the complete prescription of your antibiotics, even if you feel better.
. Make sure you take the antibiotics at the right dose and at the right time exactly how prescribed or dispensed.
. Do not share antibiotics with others.
. Never use leftover antibiotics, especially with the mindset that it was what you used when you had a “similar” infection or your neighbour used, even if it is your spouse. Drugs are potential poisons and should be taken with care.
. Endeavour to wash your hands with soap and water always.
. Avoid contact with sick people, always wash your hand after attending to a sick person.
. Practice safe sex and other healthy lifestyles.
. Vaccinate when necessary.

 

WHAT THE HEALTH WORKERS CAN DO?.

. Endeavour to only prescribe and dispense antibiotics when they are needed, according to current guidelines.
. Always counsel the patients on how to take antibiotics correctly, how to store properly, on the correct dose, drug interactions and the dangers of misuse and overuse.
. Endeavour to keep your hands, your working instruments and environment clean.
. Proper patient follow-up, monitoring and documentation should be done.
. Endeavour to report drug-resistant infections to the surveillance team.
. Enlighten the patients on the best ways to prevent infections. Educate them on the need for vaccination, regular check-ups, proper hand washing, safer sex, good feeding especially balanced diet and fruits, covering of nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing etc.

This is a call to action, there is a need for everyone to join hands to curb this menace in Nigeria, the fact that antibiotic resistance is "hidden" even makes it more a threat to mankind than cancer...It doesn't have a face but it is very serious and is causing death!!!. Therefore, proper guidance on the use of antibiotics on people, animals and agriculture is recommended for the sake of everyone.