No new antibiotics developed globally over 15 years – Experts
According to medical experts, throughout the last 15 years, no new medicines have been created or made available globally to treat illnesses.
According to the doctors, aside from cloning the ones that already exist, no novel, very potent antibiotics have been developed to address the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Godwin Jombo, a clinical microbiology professor at Benue State University, suggested that Nigeria take an interest in the development and manufacturing of high-quality antibiotics in order to address illnesses for which the current antibiotics are no longer effective.
Jombo declared, “Nigeria and Africa ought to show interest in and generate their own novel antibiotics. There haven’t been any new antibiotics approved for use in Nigeria or throughout the world for the past 15 years.
We must take action in order to prevent the situation wherein our hospitals are left unable to handle basic ailments. In order to eradicate these bacteria before these Westerners arrive, we must investigate novel antibiotics.
“We have to accomplish that on our own; the Westerners are not bothering to develop more of that. We will reach a point when treating common infections will become challenging if we don’t take this action.
He went on to discuss how the nation has recently been impacted by the problem of antibiotic resistance, saying, “Given AMR, we need to discourage pharmacists from selling antibiotics to the public because that is where the problem is coming from.”
Doctors should prescribe antibiotics, and pharmacists should only dispense them under a doctor’s prescription. Antibiotics are unique medications that ought to be prescribed on a sheet and given by pharmacists to patients who have doctor’s prescriptions, not acquired over-the-counter.
Dr. Cynrhia Okafor, a consultant gynecologist and obstetrician at Epe General Hospital in Epe, Lagos, echoed these sentiments when she stated, “The lack of new antibiotics in recent times has left the nation dependent on foreign medications.”
This is a somber reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the medications made overseas were unable to reach us in a timely manner or in sufficient quantities. Nigeria and other African nations were left behind as they were entirely dependent on medications and immunizations produced outside.
In Nigeria, we require drug security. To effectively treat newly emerging diseases, we must produce and regulate our medications. In this region of the planet, nearly every antibiotic has reverted to inactive status. They are no longer useful because of abuse and overuse.
“We typically prescribed GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s products as the best strong antibiotics prior to their exit, but we need to develop ours with the right ingredients to protect the public and outfit our healthcare facilities.”
Antimicrobial resistance ranks among the biggest dangers to global public health and development, according to the World Health Organization.
According to WHO estimates, bacterial AMR caused 4.95 million fatalities worldwide in 2019 and was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths.
He declared, “The primary causes of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria are the abuse and overuse of antibiotics in people, animals, and plants.
“Countries across all regions and income levels are impacted by AMR.” Low- and middle-income countries are the most afflicted, and poverty and inequality are its main causes and effects.
“Many of the advances in modern medicine are jeopardized by AMR. It increases the danger of certain medical procedures and treatments, including cancer chemotherapy, cesarean sections, and surgery, and makes infections more difficult to treat.
“Access and pipeline issues with antibiotics are a global concern. Given the increasing levels of resistance, there is a deficiency in the research and development pipeline and a pressing need for more steps to provide equal access to innovative medicines.
“In addition to death and disability, AMR has significant economic costs. The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in US$ 1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050, and US$ 1 trillion to US$ 3.4 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) losses per year by 2030 (2).
“Priorities to address AMR in human health include preventing all infections, which may result in inappropriate use of antimicrobials; ensuring universal access to quality diagnosis and appropriate treatment of infections.
“Others include strategic information and innovation, surveillance of AMR and antimicrobial consumption/use, as well as research and development for novel vaccines, diagnostics and medicines.”
Credit: Punch
