Deputy health minister calls to rein in antibiotics use to prevent resistance

The Health Ministry has noted a rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among patients in Malaysia and attributes this to the unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Deputy Health Minister today highlighted the need to stop prescribing patients antibiotics for viral respiratory infections like coughs and colds, warning that increased resistance to certain medicine has led to higher fatalities.

He said that many cases of AMR were assumed to occur only in hospitals, but studies have shown that it exists in environments outside these facilities.