WHO unveils a strategy to fight superbugs
The WHO has launched a global campaign against superbugs, sorting antibiotics into three categories — Access, Watch and Reserve.
The WHO has launched a global campaign against superbugs, sorting antibiotics into three categories — Access, Watch and Reserve.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global campaign aimed at curbing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The campaign is designed to make antibiotic therapy safer and more effective.
A classification system has been developed indicating which antibiotics should be used for the most common infections and which should be reserved for the most severe cases. Experts identified which medicines should always be readily available and which should only be used as a last resort.
The problem is that overuse of antibiotics quickly renders pathogens resistant to treatment. As a result, a seemingly minor infection can become life-threatening. Specialists fear the dawn of a post-antibiotic era, when antibiotics will no longer work at all.
According to their forecasts, over the next 30 years in Europe, North America and Australia, approximately 2.4 million people will die from infections caused by superbugs that are unaffected by antibiotics. Meanwhile, it is well known that more than 50% of antibiotics in many countries are used incorrectly. For instance, antibiotics are often prescribed for viral infections. At the same time, antibiotics are not available in every country — nearly a million children die each year from pneumonia. This would not happen with adequate access to antibiotics.
The WHO has divided antibiotics into three categories — Access, Watch and Reserve. The first category should account for at least 60% of all antibiotics used. Preference is given here to narrow-spectrum antibiotics (which target specific pathogens). This makes it possible to place the remaining antibiotics into the other categories, preserving their effectiveness.
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