Antibiotics have transformed modern medicine by offering an effective means to combat bacterial infections that were previously often deadly. They function by either destroying bacteria or preventing their growth, giving the immune system a chance to respond. However, excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Highlighting the treatment gap between low- and middle-income countries, new research reveals that less than 7 per cent of people with drug-resistant infections in poorer countries have a lack of access to antibiotics.
This treatment gap is driving the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally, warned the experts.
Eight countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya and South Africa lack access to the right antibiotics.
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By 2050, AMR is forecasted to cause 1.9 million deaths a year.
What is AMR?
Antimicrobial resistance refers to the ability of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites to stop antimicrobials from working against them. AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections.
Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are referred to as 'superbugs'.
Experts point out that overuse of antibiotics is the major leading cause of AMR. However, a focus on overuse has led to access being neglected to several developing countries.
The research, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, was led by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership.
The study focused on eight countries: Bangladesh, Kenya, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt and South Africa. Researchers found out that there were an estimated 1.5 million carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) infections, which are drug-resistant, and almost 4,80,000 deaths from such infections in 2019. Just under 104,000 courses of antibiotics active against CRGNs were procured.
Appropriate antibiotics were available in only 6.9% of cases on average – ranging from 0.2% in Kenya to 14.9% in Mexico and Egypt. Only 7.8 per cent of patients with drug-resistant infections in India received an appropriate antibiotic for treatment.
Instead of using ineffective antibiotics—which prolongs treatment duration and contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—it is essential to target drug-resistant bacteria with the appropriate therapy.
