Drugs no longer work to kill bacteria or viruses
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) Prof Tjandra Toga Aditama convey five things you need to know about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) called the silent pandemic (silent pandemic). According to him, AMR can threaten the world because cases are growing rapidly.
Tjandra, who is also the postgraduate director of the University YARSI this one relayed his statement after moderating a talk show that discussed various aspects of AMR, or antimicrobial resistance.
First, Tjandra said, currently the world, including Indonesia, is actually addressing AMR, which is the situation where there are bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that change over time and can no longer be overcome with antimicrobial drugs.
Secondly, as drugs no longer work to kill bacteria / viruses and others, this condition can make infectious diseases uncontrollable in the future.
“Because there are no more medicines,” Tjandra said, quoted from her statement on Thursday (4/11/2022).
Third, Tjandra continued, worldwide the number of resistant bacterial infections is associated with nearly five million deaths each year. More than 1.2 million of these deaths are directly related to AMR.
“That’s why AMR is called the silent pandemic,” said the former WHO director of infectious diseases in Southeast Asia.
Also, fourth, AMR, Tjandra said, can also occur due to multiple factors. One of the main ones is the behavior of taking antibiotics which are not necessary.
According to him, coughs and colds, for example, are mostly caused by viruses, so there is no need to take antibiotics. Likewise, people who take antibiotics do not abide by the rules.
“It should take five days, for example, but as he felt healed two days ago and then stopped, as a result the germs didn’t die and just” staggered “and when he woke up again he became resistant / immune to antibiotics, “Tjandra said.
While the fifth, the AMR control includes three things. First, Tjandra evaluates the need for public behavior to consume antibiotics only if prescribed by a doctor and not to self-medicate.
Secondly, healthcare professionals must also diagnose and provide care according to correct clinical guidelines and thirdly, a One Health approach is required because antimicrobial resistance can also be related to antibiotic consumption in animals and also to the contaminated environment. from antimicrobial waste.
“AMR is our problem, AMR is a silent pandemic, we must all do our best to manage it so it doesn’t become a true protracted pandemic,” said the former director general of disease control.
