The antibiotic apocalypse: Rise of the superbugs

Imagine having to suffer through a life-threatening condition due to a minor infection or flu simply because the most common antibiotics are not working anymore? According to a study by ICDDRB, the effectiveness of 17 of the prevalent antibiotics in Bangladesh has decreased greatly. The apprehended crisis might be fuelled by a recent increase in the usage of antibiotics due to Covid-19. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has shared such concern. In a report run by Bangla Tribune, she recently said, “The number of effective antibiotics is decreasing. It may cause the world to fall into a new crisis which can be even deadlier than the coronavirus”.

Around 75 years ago, Sir Alexander Fleming, the father of antibiotics and the saviour of millions of lives, himself predicted the deadliest apocalypse of all time- ‘The Antibiotic Apocalypse’. According to WHO, antibiotics have already become a global problem now.