The ignorance of  Anti microbial resistance; A reality and call for concern in LMICs

This article was exclusively written for European Sting by Ms. MIENDJIEM KEMO Hilary Ségolène, a 6th-year medical student at Université des Montagnes, Bangangté. She is affiliated with 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.

We received a 28 years old  patient in septic shock at the emergency ward during a night shift sometime last year. After stabilising her condition, on anamnesis conducted with her, we realised that there were symptoms of urinary infection evolving over 6 days, for which she had resorted to self-medication, something she usually did. It came out that this wasn’t the first time she was presenting these symptoms and that her partner who was a medical personnel always gave her antibiotics that helped the symptoms go away but usually came back after some time.

The clinical examination highlighted frank pyuria during the placement of the urinary catheter, confirming our suspicions of a urinary tract infection as the probable entry point of the septic shock. We requested a urine culture and sensitivity test to confirm the diagnosis and guide antibiotic therapy. Unfortunately, the results of the urine culture and sensitivity test revealed bacterial resistance to all tested antibiotics. I was in awe. How could a 28 year old be possibly resistant to all antibiotics even imipenem and fosfomycin?? This is unbelievable !  She passed away a week later and that is when it dawned unto me that anti microbial resistance is real and it is not a joke. Someone had just passed away because of a urinary infection.

With time, I realised that many patients are very ignorant about what antibiotics are. Some think that it is an analgesic and complain when it’s not given to them. Others are convinced that it is part of the drugs in Malaria management and say they were not treated well, because they didn’t receive antibiotics. It is heartbreaking to hear this and even when you try explaining what antibiotics really are, they don’t listen because that is what they are used to taking and they say it has been working.

According to WHO in 2023, One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were resistant to antibiotic treatments, with more than 40% of antibiotics losing potency against common blood, gut, urinary tract and sexually-transmitted infections. The problem was most severe, in low and middle-income countries and those with weaker healthcare systems.¹  In Cameroon in 2021, there were an estimated 3,020-5,610 deaths attributable to AMR and 15,200-26,200 deaths associated with AMR. Without concerted action, the trend suggests that AMR-associated deaths in Cameroon could rise to an estimated 23,200 by 2030.²

To reduce the ignorance rate, educating the patient about what antibiotics are, how they should be taken, and emphasizing the importance of consulting a healthcare professional before taking any antibiotics will help reduce resistance. It’s crucial to explain that antibiotics should only be taken as prescribed, and that experiencing similar symptoms doesn’t automatically mean the same antibiotics can be taken again. Explaining antimicrobial resistance and its consequences can empower patients to use antibiotics responsibly. Limiting over-the-counter access to antibiotics can also significantly reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

References: 

1. WHO. Sharp global rise in antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals, WHO finds. The Guardian; Ian Sample Science editor; 13 Oct 2025.  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/13/sharp-global-rise-in-antibiotic-resistant-infections-in-hospitals-who-finds
2. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The Burden of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Cameroon: A Policy Briefing. Seattle (WA): IHME; 2023. : https://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/Cameroon.pdf

About the author

MIENDJIEM KEMO Hilary Ségolène is a 6th-year medical student at Université des Montagnes, Bangangté. She currently serves as the Director of the Standing Committee of Social Security for Medical Students. Passionate about Global Health, she has a particular interest in leadership, public health, research, and content creation.