Antibiotic resistance: challenges and solutions

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Bintaleb Emad Hamdi, a 26 year old medical student in Hadhramout University College of medicine (HUCOM)-Mukalla. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

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Ahmed is a young adult male who complaint of fever for three days. He goes to a pharmacy and asks the pharmacist for a medication. The pharmacist wants to sale his drugs.so, he give him a strong and expensive antibiotic. That was a small story about what we have suffering from in our country .when a patient have an illness, he doesn’t go to a doctor. He just goes to the pharmacy and has medication without a prescription. One of the most causes of antibiotic resistance in our country. Most of pharmacists want to have a good reputation. So, they prescribed wide spread intravenous drugs such as Ceftriaxon or Metronidazole infusion. Even strong tablet medications like Augmentin or Levofloxacin have decreased sensitivity nowadays. When those patients have a sever disease and have no benefit from those medication they come to the hospital and ask for the doctor help. When the doctor asks about the medication that they have he surprised that they have a strong antibiotic without any response to them .so, he prescribed more appropriate antibiotic. As a result of these mistakes, antibiotic sensitivity has been decreased to low percentage in the last few years. A study in clinical pharmacy department of 48 Model Hospital –Sana’a from June 2018 to June 2019 shows that the patient who had infected with staphylococcus aurous, their sensitivity to Augmentin was decreased up to 69%. Other antibiotics such as Ceftriaxon (58%) and Ciprofloxacin (66%).while the most drug with low sensitivity was Penicillin (25%). Another example about that study, the patient who has infected with klebsiella spp become resisted to Meropenem (sensitivity was 16%) and Penicillin (15%).while most appropriate antibiotics were Colistin or Polymyxine-B (100%). Other common organisms such as staphylococcus spp, its sensitivity to Ampicilline was decreased up to 42%. About E.coli, its sensitivity to Penicillin had become 25%. In the other hand, Amikacin become the drug of choice (95%). In my opinion, I think this study was done at a difficult time. Even though low facilities in our country, the war is all over and without governmental support, it has great outcomes. The most important outcome was the decrease sensitivity to Ampicillin, Penicillin, Cloxacillin and Ceftriaxon. As a result of this study, we recommended the following, to increase awareness among the community about the dangerous of antibiotic resistance. To follow updated guidelines about antibiotic by doctors. For the pharmacists not to withdraw medications without prescription. For scientific community to focus their research on antibiotic resistance. For public authorities to put legislations that regulates usage of antibiotic and limits their risks and for international community to put antibiotic resistance as one of the urgent priorities to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In conclusion, in my country, we faced big challenges nowadays like other countries, to encourage the community to ask for medical advice in a proper way, to call on governments and international organizations for their support and to improve health care services. About the author Bintaleb Emad Hamdi is a 26 years old male. Single. Medical student in Hadhramout University College of medicine (HUCOM)-Mukalla. Lives in Sana'a (the capital city of Yemen). Has a diploma of English language from Newhorizone institute-sanaa. Has multiple traineeships in medicine (BLS, ACLS, first aid and nursing). Member of multiple foundations in our country (benevolent fund. for outstanding students-BFFOS and National association of medical students-NAMS-Yemen). Nowadays, I am preparing for ILETS, PLAB and MRCS, to has a scholarship for continuing my study in Europe, England or Australia and then back to my country for improving health care services.