some have defined it “New Covid”But its history is much longer than that of Corona virus (Here you can find the new WHO guidelines): Antibiotic resistance is the real epidemic of this historical period. So global public health is once again at risk silent epidemicCertainly with more contained media outrage but with a dangerous charge of fatalism.
l’Italy One of the most affected countries in the world since incidence of antibiotic resistancewhich causes in our country More than 11 thousand deaths every year, Here are all the statistics, causes and consequences of this epidemic.
What is antibiotic resistance and how dangerous is it
The so-called “silent epidemic” is registering worrying data: right now it matters More than 5 million victims per year, By antibiotic resistance we mean the spectrum of infections caused by Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics now in use, we talk globally One death every 30 seconds, Incorrect use of antibiotics, which leads to resistance, is one of the reasons for this phenomenon.
A certain point passes in the fight against the phenomenon Raising awareness among citizens, Ministry of Health and Italian Medicines Agency iifa has launched an information campaign aimed at “raising awareness among the population responsible consumption use antibiotics and encourage best practices to reduce the spread of resistant infections”. Progress in the fight against this phenomenon in Europe was also reported by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. ECDCare indeed “slow” and the phenomenon “remains a challenge”.
All this despite the fact that the EU says, as mentionedEuropean Medicines Agency, sales of veterinary antibiotics have declined significantly (-53% between 2011 and 2022, the lowest level ever). Which reduces the risk of bacterial resistance in people and animals.
Another warning also comes from experts: Common medicines no longer work for children,
number of antibiotic resistance
Health Minister, Orazio Schillaci, spoke of a “global threat”. causes antibiotic resistance every year 35 thousand deaths in EuropeOne third of which is in Italy alone. In this area we are in last place, only ahead of greece, In 2022, three in ten people received a prescription for antibiotics.
The global numbers are brutal and outline a true pandemic, with “one person dying every 30 seconds and one in five infections in the EU caused by resistant microbial agents”, he said. sandra gallina, Director-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Union Commission. “The current pandemic is now a major pandemic with a huge cost 11.7 billion euros per year For additional expenses and lack of work”. There microbial resistance “This can no longer be addressed by our systems”. a painting of international alarmAccording to AIFA President, therefore, which requires immediate response and solution giorgio palu“Can’t be achieved except through scientific-technological innovation”.
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Training and AI to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Experts also point fingers at thisinstructional inappropriateness, Family doctors, Minister Schillaci underlined, “are the ones who know the patients better than others and therefore they should definitely carry out awareness campaigns, because antibiotics cannot be taken without a medical prescription”. The behavior is implemented by approximately one in three Italians. However, at the same time, 80% of instructional inappropriateness comes general practitioners, “That’s why we must emphasize the training of doctors,” said Francesco Via, the ministry’s prevention director.
However, he points out, “We haven’t had any new antibiotics since the 1990s: Since then the industry has invested much less and focused more on blockbusters rather than treatments lasting 5 to 7 days, i.e. one pill every day for life. Hence the urgency to think about new approaches andartificial intelligence, he says, “will be a fundamental tool”. However, an answer comes Marcelo Cattani, President of Farmindustria: “There are 300 drugs and 150 vaccines in development worldwide to fight resistant bacterial infections.”
For its part, Italy has implemented various instruments, as Schillaci recalled. National Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance 2022-2025 (Pankar). But an “essential” factor is the training of health workers. “The extraordinary training scheme we are running on hospital infections is focused on this very objective PNRR“, the minister underlined.