HEALTH leaders across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are backing the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) important message about antibiotics message across.
The WHO’s ‘Preventing antimicrobial resistance together’ drive comes during World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week which began on Saturday and runs until today (Friday, November 24).
People are being asked to think about their antibiotic usage.
The WHO considers antimicrobial resistance (or antibiotic resistance) to be one of today’s biggest threats to global health, with antimicrobial resistance considered an international health issue and emergency.
The more use of antimicrobials, the greater the risk of gaining a resistance to the drugs prescribed and as a result antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
It is estimated at least 20 per cent of all antibiotic prescriptions are not needed.
Unless action is taken, antibiotic resistance will become an ever more serious problem, making common interventions such as hip replacements, caesarean sections, and chemotherapy more complex.
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chief Medical Officer Will Taylor said: “When used appropriately antimicrobials are essential to treat serious infections.
“Yet, the most common winter infections we see such as coughs, colds, sore throats, and flu can often get better on their own without antibiotics.”
People are urged to always take their healthcare professionals’ advice on whether they need antibiotics and take them exactly as prescribed – never save them for later and never share them with others.
Mr Taylor urged people to make family and friends aware of antibiotic resistance and remember Covid, flu and other viruses do not respond to antibiotics.
“We are working with hospitals and GP practices to reduce prescribing where possible, but we can’t do it alone.”
“This is why we are urging patients to work with us to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.”
Search for ‘World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week’ on gov.uk for more information.
