About Antimicrobial Resistance
What are Antimicrobials?
Antimicrobials are agents used to prevent, control and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. They include antibiotics, fungicides, antiviral agents and parasiticides. Disinfectants, antiseptics, other pharmaceuticals and natural products may also have antimicrobial properties.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of the spread of diseases, severe illness and death.
What Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
Some of the contributing factors of AMR are:
- Lack of access to clean water, sanitation and proper hygiene for both humans and animals
- Poor infection and disease prevention and control in homes, healthcare facilities and farms. Biosecurity is the term used for infection prevention and control in animal health.
- Poor access to quality and affordable vaccines, diagnostics and medicines
- Lack of awareness and knowledge:
- Over-prescribing of antibiotics
- Patients not taking antibiotics as prescribed
- Over the counter dispensing of antibiotics
- Unnecessary antibiotics used in food and agriculture
- Unregulated use of antibiotics in Animals
- Lack of enforcement of relevant legislation
These points highlight the important role of the Multi-Sectoral Coordinating Committee to Combat AMR.
Why is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) a Global Concern?
- AMR presents a widespread, complex threat to global health and universal health coverage. In 2021, it was estimated that 4.71 million deaths were associated with bacterial AMR, including 1.14 million deaths directly attributable to bacterial AMR.
- The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens threatens our ability to treat common infections and to perform life-saving procedures including cancer chemotherapy and caesarean section, hip replacements, organ transplantation and other surgeries.
- AMR affects economic productivity by causing illness and death, leading to loss of workforce productivity. It is projected to cause $1 trillion to $3.4 trillion in GDP losses per year by 2030.
- AMR increases healthcare costs due to longer hospital stays, the need for more expensive and complex treatments, and increased mortality rates. The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in $1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050.
- In addition, drug-resistant infections impact the health of animals and plants, reduce productivity in farms, and threaten food security.
Sources:
1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01867-1/fulltext
2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
3. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2016/09/18/by-2050-drug-resistant-infections-could-cause-global-economic-damage-on-par-with-2008-financial-crisis
4. https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance
Other Resources
Inappropriate Use of Antibiotics in Trinidad and Tobago
Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control E-Manuals | Ministry of Health
