Antimicrobial Resistance: The Hidden Threat to Global Health

What if we lived in a world where a minor infection turns fatal, diseases or antigens entering humans, animals, and plants stand against all treatments, and modern medicine stands powerless? It’s the terrifying reality we are moving towards as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites grow resistant to drugs designed to stop them.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to global health, silently sabotaging modern medicine and putting millions of lives at risk. If we fail to act, the consequences will be destructive. But wait, there's a piece of good news. We still have time to fight back; however, urgent actions will be required from governments, healthcare professionals, industries, and individuals. 

What’s fueling this crisis? And more importantly, what can be the prevention of antimicrobial resistance? In this blog, we will discover the truth about antimicrobial resistance and how you can be part of the solution. Let's dive in.

What Is Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them. It represents a phenomenon where microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi adapt to the drug structure, leading to the medicine's ineffectiveness. Antimicrobials include antibiotics, anti-viral medications, anti-fungal treatments and antiparasitics and serve as essential infection treatments for humans, animals and plants. Treatment resistance develops when the standard treatments fail, and patients suffer prolonged illness and increased death rates while infections spread that are unable to be treated. Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”. Antimicrobial misuse, together with continued excess use, acts as an accelerator to this crisis because it voids the effectiveness of previously successful drugs.

AMR also endangers human and animal healthcare while creating significant problems in agricultural production. The spread of different species of resistant microorganisms, their contamination of the environment, and their entry into the food chain affect the health of millions of families worldwide. AMR, if left unattended, will pose serious threats to human survival by turning viral infections lethal. Operations to preserve life-saving medicines must combine worldwide human initiatives with responsible antimicrobial practices and creative solutions to secure their effectiveness for future generations.

Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance

Bacteria continue to develop new survival skills as they adjust to antibiotics used for their elimination because they serve as critical treatments for infections in humans and animals. The ability of bacteria to develop resistance occurs through genetic mutations and by acquiring resistance genes from different bacterial strains, enabling them to survive antibiotic treatment. 

The more we use antibiotics, the greater the chance that resistant strains will emerge. Does this mean we should stop using antibiotics? 

No! We can still use antibiotics as they remain vital for human healthcare, but they must be used wisely.  Misusing them, such as treating viral infections with antibiotics or using them excessively for growth promotion in plants, only promotes resistance. The ability of antibiotics to fight diseases can remain effective for humans as well as animals if prescribed only when necessary. The present responsible antibiotic management practices will protect these life-saving medicines for future generations. 

There are various vital elements that fuel the escalating threat to antimicrobials worldwide:  



1. Overuse and Misuse of Antimicrobials

The excessive prescription of antibiotics for viral infections, including colds and flu, produces no effective treatment results. Improper drug use includes self-treatment errors and incorrect medication practices like stopping medications before the prescribed duration ends.  

2. Poor Infection Prevention and Control

Non-sustainable hygiene and sanitation standards in hospitals, homes, and farms promote the transmission of resistant microorganisms—the absence of adequate vaccination initiatives results in the need for more antimicrobial medications.  

3. Environmental Factors

Pharmaceutical waste and antibiotics in improper disposal sites contaminate water and soil systems. The usage of antibiotics during aquaculture operations and crop agriculture transfers antibiotic resistance to natural habitats. 

4. Lack of New Antimicrobial Development

Research costs, alongside regulatory barriers, prevent researchers from developing new antimicrobial drugs at a slow rate.  

Prevention Of Antimicrobial Resistance: An Initiative By WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented multiple essential worldwide strategies to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the One Health Approach. WHO thoroughly combines human, animal, and environmental health programs to tackle AMR. It promotes ethical antimicrobial drug use by requiring proper prescription and correct usage of these medicines. The organisation cooperates with public authorities to build more substantial antimicrobial sale restrictions that prevent misuse throughout human medical practice and veterinary treatments. Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS), a surveillance system run in 2022, tracks antimicrobial resistance developments to support policy creation. According to the WHO, infection prevention and control (IPC) requires enhanced sanitation, better hygiene practices, and vaccination programs because these efforts decrease the need to use antibiotics. The organisation runs awareness campaigns that teach healthcare workers, farmers, and everyone in the public about dangerous antibiotic resistance and proper antibiotic usage methods. WHO minimises AMR's spread by using research funds and collaborative agreements and forming policy suggestions to safeguard antimicrobials' effectiveness for upcoming generations.

Role Of A Citizen In Prevention Of AMR

People must adopt responsible actions to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR), like taking antibiotics only with prescribed medical orders, completing the full directed treatment, and never using the medicine alone. Individuals should practice proper hygiene while getting vaccinations and ensure adequate food handling to prevent infections. Pet owners and farmers must responsibly handle the use and administration of antimicrobials after veterinary consultation. Appropriate antibiotic disposal methods stop pollutants from entering the environment, and these simple steps can fuel the prevention of antimicrobial resistance. Lastly, raising awareness and supporting policies that regulate antimicrobial use can help protect global health. Small actions collectively make a significant impact in preserving the effectiveness of these life-saving drugs. 

Dr Mahesh Bhalgat is a prominent figure in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors and a knowledgeable citizen currently serving as the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director at Veeda Clinical Research. In his interview with Pharma Now, Dr Mahesh Bhalgat emphasises that global challenges like global warming and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) require collective action. He notes that global warming alters habitats, leading to increased interactions among species, which can facilitate the spread of resistant pathogens, hence AMR. Dr. Bhalgat believes that addressing these issues is challenging. Still, it is achievable through dedicated efforts, such as past successes like the eradication of smallpox and the near-eradication of polio.

Conclusion 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global crisis threatening human, animal, and environmental health. AMR occurs when microorganisms evolve to withstand treatments, making infections harder to cure. The causes of antimicrobial resistance include overuse and misuse of antibiotics, poor infection control, and lack of new drug development. Prevention of antimicrobial resistance is possible through responsible antimicrobial use, good hygiene, vaccinations, and regulatory measures. Governments, healthcare professionals, and individuals must take urgent action to battle AMR. Defining antimicrobial resistance and understanding its risks is crucial to protecting global health. By working together, we can slow its spread and preserve life-saving medicines.