Misuse of antibiotics is denting their efficacy and spawning resistant bacteria which could be responsible for 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050, the World Health Organization warned Thursday.
“While AMR (antimicrobial resistance) is a natural phenomenon, the development and spread of superbugs are being accelerated by the misuse of antimicrobials, rendering infections more challenging to treat effectively,” a statement said.
The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in Central Asia.
“All countries in our region have regulations in place to protect precious antibiotics from misuse... Enforcing these regulations would solve most antibiotic misuse,” Robb Butler, director of WHO Europe’s Division of Communicable Diseases, said in a statement.
WHO warned that without immediate intervention, resistance to antimicrobials — which includes antibiotics — could lead to up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050.
“While AMR (antimicrobial resistance) is a natural phenomenon, the development and spread of superbugs are being accelerated by the misuse of antimicrobials, rendering infections more challenging to treat effectively,” a statement said.
The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in Central Asia.
“All countries in our region have regulations in place to protect precious antibiotics from misuse... Enforcing these regulations would solve most antibiotic misuse,” Robb Butler, director of WHO Europe’s Division of Communicable Diseases, said in a statement.
WHO warned that without immediate intervention, resistance to antimicrobials — which includes antibiotics — could lead to up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050.
