o Antimicrobial:
o Refers to any drug that either eliminates or prevents the growth of
microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoans.
o Antibacterial resistance (AMR):
o It is characterized as a total lack of antimicrobial effectiveness against
previously sensitive bacteria.
What factors drive the acceleration of the emergence and
spread of antimicrobial resistance?
The main drivers accelerating the emergence and spread of antimicrobial
resistance include the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, a lack of access to
clean water, sanitary conditions, and good hygiene for humans as well as
animals, inadequate disease prevention and control in hospitals and farms, a
lack of access to inexpensive, high-quality drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, a
lack of awareness and education, and a lack of legal enforcement
Antimicrobial resistance is an ongoing challenge to our ability to treat common
diseases due to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant bacteria that have
developed new resistance mechanisms. As resistance to drugs develops
internationally, diseases become harder to cure, and the mortality
rate increases due to antibiotics' decreasing effectiveness. We urgently require
new antibiotics. However, if people do not alter the way that antibiotics are now
used, they will experience the same destiny as the present drugs and lose their
effectiveness.
How can we manage antibiotic resistance?
o To increase knowledge of and understanding of antibiotic resistance