Antibiotic resistance – The faceless threat

Abstract

A potential post-antibiotic era is threatening present and future medical advances. The current world-wide increase in resistant bacteria and, simultaneously, the downward trend in the development of newantibiotics have serious implications. Resistant bacteria dramatically reduce the possibilities of treatinginfectious diseases effectively and multiply the risks of complications and a fatal outcome for patientswith infections of the blood. Most vulnerable are those with weakened immune defences, such as cancerpatients, malnourished children and people who are HIV-positive, for whom adequate therapy to preventand treat severe infections is often necessary for their survival. In addition, antibiotic resistance jeop-ardises advanced medical procedures such as organ transplantations and implants of prostheses, whereantibiotics are crucial for patient safety and to avoid complications.Mortality as a result of infectious diseases represents one-fifth of global deaths [18]; respiratory infec-tions are the leading killer, causing nearly four million deaths annually (Fig. 1). These deaths are to someextent regarded as preventable with increased access to health care and medicines. However, the globalemergence and spread of bacteria that resist antibiotics is raising the question as to whether this is stillthe case, especially in parts of the world where second and third line antibiotics are unavailable. Con-sidering that the escalating medical and economic consequences of antibiotic resistance are generallywell known by medical professionals and political actors, the inertia surrounding the issue is difficultto explain. The vagueness of the international response and the failure to translate existing knowledgeinto concrete action are serious problems. This complacency on the part of global society needs ur-gently to be replaced by concerted action to reduce the present and future consequences of antibioticresistance.