They call for urgent action to stop antimicrobial resistance

This year, World AMR Awareness Week will take place from 18 to 24 November, focusing on the urgent actions needed to stop antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

antimicrobial resistance Causes nearly 5 million deaths every year Just due to bacterial infection. This, coupled with poor investment in the research and development of new antimicrobial drugs, has led the World Health Organization to list antimicrobial resistance as one of the top ten threats to public health. For the human world.

Current situation

Bacterial drug resistance

There is a worrying rise in antibiotic resistance, which is compromising the treatment of common bacterial infections. For example, E. coli resistance to ciprofloxacin, used to treat urinary tract infections, ranges from 8.4% to 92.9%.

Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibits resistance to carbapenem antibiotics worldwide and is an important cause of hospital-acquired infections. Resistance to fluoroquinolones is widespread among E. coli strains used to treat urinary tract infections. In addition, colistin, a last resort treatment for serious infections, faces resistance. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) increases the risk of death by 64%.

Drug resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae threatens the treatment of gonorrhea, with ceftriaxone being the only effective option in many countries.The situation is critical and urgent measures are required

Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance

Antibiotic-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pose a significant risk to global tuberculosis control. In 2018, approximately 500,000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) were detected, with the majority developing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is resistant to the two most effective anti-TB drugs sex. However, only one-third of these cases are detected and reported.

Treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is long-lasting, less effective and expensive, and the cure success rate is less than 60%. The emergence of new drug resistance poses a major threat to the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Viral drug resistance

Resistance to antiviral drugs has become a growing concern, especially among immunocompromised populations. Sustained viral replication and long-term drug exposure are producing drug-resistant strains, affecting most antiviral drugs, including antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

Drug-resistant HIV (HIVDR) is a significant risk, with worrying levels of drug resistance, particularly in regions such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. Among adults starting first-line therapy, the incidence of resistance to previous therapy is greater than 10%, and the situation in infants is even more worrying, with more than 50% of newly diagnosed HIV-infected people showing resistance.

Drug resistance in malaria parasites

The emergence of drug-resistant parasites poses one of the greatest threats to malaria control and leads to increased malaria morbidity and mortality. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the recommended first-line therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria and is used in most malaria-endemic countries.

In Africa, recently published evidence suggests the emergence of mutations associated with partial artemisinin resistance in Rwanda. The ACT that has been tested so far is still very effective. However, further spread of artemisinin- and ACT-related drug resistance could pose a major public health challenge and jeopardize important gains in malaria control.

fungal resistance

Rising fungal drug resistance complicates the treatment of fungal infections. Candida auris is a common invasive fungal infection that has shown increasing resistance to drugs such as fluconazole, amphotericin B, voriconazole, and resistance to caspofungin. This results in fungal infections that are more difficult to treat, treatment failures, longer hospital stays, and expensive treatment options. World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, with the theme “Together to prevent antimicrobial resistance”, promotes joint action by leaders and communities across sectors to preserve antimicrobials and protect the health of people, animals, plants and the environment.