Experts Warn: Antibiotics May No Longer Save Lives
TDT | Manama
Addressing a critical global health concern, Dr. Jameela Al Salman, Bahraini physician and infectious disease specialist, sounded the alarm on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during her keynote speech at the Bahrain International Conference on Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare, held at the Gulf Hotel.
Speaking about the escalating crisis, Dr. Al Salman warned that antimicrobial resistance could soon become one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide if urgent measures are not taken. "We are seeing patients every week who are at risk of dying due to infections that no longer respond to antibiotics," she said.
"This isn't a distant threat — it's happening now, in our hospitals, in our communities."
She highlighted alarming trends, including the fact that some bacteria are now resistant to all known antibiotics, making once-treatable infections potentially fatal. Dr. Al Salman emphasized that globalization, travel, and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals have accelerated the spread of resistant microbes. 'Bacteria don't need passports,' she warned. 'An outbreak in one country can easily affect others.'
Despite efforts made over the past decade, progress has been limited. In 2014, a global action plan was launched to combat AMR, and Bahrain became a regional leader by prioritizing national surveillance and reporting systems under the WHO's Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). However, she admitted that 'the world didn't do enough,' and resistance levels continue to climb.
Dr. Al Salman called for a coordinated international approach, involving primary care physicians, hospitals, policymakers, and pharmaceutical companies. She stressed the need for better infection control practices, responsible prescription of antibiotics, public education, and investment in new treatments. She also pointed out that pharmaceutical companies are often reluctant to invest in new antibiotics due to low commercial returns, choosing instead to focus on more profitable treatments like cancer therapies.
One of her key messages was the importance of the role of family doctors and primary care physicians, saying, 'You are at the center of this cycle. You're the first line of defense.' Overprescribing antibiotics, she said, not only affects individual patients but contributes to a wider community risk.
Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Al Salman noted that although it helped strengthen infection control measures, it also led to an increase in unnecessary antibiotic use, further exacerbating resistance.
'The clock is ticking. If we do not act now, we risk a future where simple infections could once again become deadly,' she concluded.
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