World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Why Safe Medication Matters
Every November, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) reminds us of the importance of understanding the impact of antimicrobial resistance.
Antimicrobials are the medicines we rely on to fight infections–this includes antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.
Antimicrobial resistance happens when viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites develop the ability to fight and survive the drugs designed to kill them.
VidaCure Pharmacy supports this campaign by encouraging safe and proper use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials to protect our health.
Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance
Germs naturally evolve and become less responsive to medicines over time, but certain behaviors or practices can make resistance spread even faster.
1. Overuse of antimicrobials
Using antimicrobials too often, even when they’re not needed, gives germs repeated exposure to these medicines, allowing them to adapt and survive. This is one of the main reasons that make future infections harder and more expensive to treat.
2. Incorrect use
Using antimicrobials incorrectly also fuels resistance. Skipping doses, not completing the full prescribed course, taking the wrong dosage, or using a medication that isn’t appropriate for the infection gives germs a chance to survive and become stronger. A common example is taking antibiotics for viral illnesses like colds, coughs, or the flu, which do not respond to antibiotics.
3. Self-medication
Buying antibiotics without a prescription or proper medical evaluation increases the risk of using the wrong medicine.
4. Misuse of microbials in agriculture, livestock, and pharmaceutical
Improper use of microbials like antibiotics for crops and animals can lead to resistant bacteria. This can spread through food, bodies of water, groundwater, and soil, creating environments where resistant bacteria thrive.
5. Global spread
Resistant bacteria can easily spread across countries through travel, food, and imported products, making AMR a worldwide problem.
Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance
The rise of AMR poses significant challenges to public health, turning once easily-treated infections into serious health threats.
Here are some ways AMR disrupts the lives of individuals, families, and communities
1. Infections become difficult to treat
When germs no longer respond to medicines, common infections like UTI, bronchitis, strep throat, and wound infections can become severe and challenging to cure.
2. Longer recovery and higher healthcare costs
When first-line treatments fail, infections take much longer to resolve. Symptoms may linger or even worsen, causing ongoing discomfort and delayed healing. Patients often need additional check-ups, lab tests, stronger or alternative medicines, and extended care—leading to higher healthcare expenses and more time away from work, school, and daily activities.
3. Increased risk of complications
AMR can turn once-treatable infections into serious, even life-threatening conditions. For example, it can worsen complications from illnesses like the flu, where secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia, sinusitis, or ear infections become harder to treat when the bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics.
4. Spread of “superbugs”
A “superbug” is an infection that is difficult to treat because of its resistance to available medicines. According to the Cleveland Clinic, most superbugs are bacteria that have developed immunity to multiple antibiotics.
Superbugs pose a threat to the community, as they can spread quickly in hospitals and clinics, putting vulnerable patients such as newborns, the elderly, and individuals with weak immune systems at higher risk.
An example of a bacteria with superbug strain is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). In the Philippines where TB cases continue to rise, this is especially concerning. When TB becomes harder and more expensive to treat, it places even greater burden on patients, families, and the healthcare system.
5. Effect on animals, food safety, and the environment
Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens can spread through livestock, food production, and the environment. This makes infections in animals harder to treat and increases the chance that resistant bacteria reach humans.
Final Thoughts
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is a reminder that fighting antimicrobial resistance starts with informed decisions. By being mindful of how we use antibiotics and other microbials, following doctor’s instructions, and avoiding self-medication, we can help ensure these lifesaving treatments remain effective for ourselves, our families, and future generations.
VidaCure encourages every individual to stay mindful of proper medication practices and to seek professional guidance when symptoms arise. Small, consistent actions can protect not only our own health but also the well-being of our families and communities.