Lack of access to antibiotics is a key driver of antimicrobial resistance

Sustainable access to antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries is crucial. 

A recent webinar during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week brought up one of the important factors driving up antimicrobial resistance — access to antibiotics, specially first-line treatments.

When bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, it makes infections harder to treat. This increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death, also known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR phenomenon leads to deaths, morbidity, high treatment cost, increased hospital stays and also losses in animal productivity and economic and livelihood losses. It was responsible for approximately 5 million deaths in 2019, according to a recent study.