Antimicrobial Resistance termed a 'health crisis'
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a ticking time bomb, responsible for over one million deaths worldwide annually and approximately 60,000 deaths in Pakistan per year, making it a serious public health crisis.
Leading experts warned at a seminar on microbial diseases and antibiotic resistance. The seminar was organised by the Department of Microbiology at Federal Urdu University of Arts Science Arts and Technology.
The event was led by microbiologist Professor Sikander Sherwani, the chief organiser of the seminar on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases.
The seminar was attended by students and experts from various institutions associated with the field of microbiology.
Renowned microbiologists from different universities and hospitals provided valuable insights on the topic. Professor Dr. Zahid, Dean of Science at Federal Urdu University, praised Professor Sikander Sherwani's continuous efforts and emphasised that such programs help students enhance their academic performance and contribute to the university's reputation. He highlighted that the department remains actively engaged in scientific and research-based initiatives.
Addressing the global and national impact of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Professor Sikander Sherwani warned that AMR is a ticking time bomb, responsible for over one million deaths worldwide annually. He pointed out that in Pakistan, AMR directly causes approximately 59,200 deaths per year, making it a serious public health crisis.
Dr Saima Faraz, Chairperson of the Department, commended Professor Sherwani for organizing such an important event. She noted that these programs help students learn modern techniques, enhance their knowledge, and strengthen their understanding of their field.
Professor Dr Saeed of Dow University of Health Sciences stressed the importance of the proper use of antibiotics in combating infections and protecting public health. He cautioned that the overuse of antibiotics can be harmful and noted that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries facing antibiotic resistance. Alarmingly, 70-80% of bacterial infections in Pakistan have developed resistance to commonly used antibiotics. He emphasised the need for increased awareness and scientific research to tackle these challenges, warning that without intervention, AMR-related deaths in Pakistan could rise to 100,000 annually by 2050.
Dr Owais Khan from Liaquat National University, Department of Infectious Diseases provided insights into the role of proper hygiene and medical interventions in controlling epidemics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
10-07-2025
- Business Recorder
US funding cuts could reverse decades of gains in AIDS fight: UN
JOHANNESBURG: The halt to US foreign aid is a 'ticking time bomb' that could reverse decades of hard-fought gains in the fight against AIDS, the United Nations warned Thursday. Around 31.6 million people were on antiretroviral drugs in 2024 and deaths from AIDS-related illnesses had more than halved since 2010 to 630,000 that year, the UNAIDS agency said in a new report. Now however, infections were likely to shoot up as funding cuts have shuttered prevention and treatment programmes, it said. The United States was the world's biggest donor of humanitarian assistance until President Donald Trump's abrupt slashing of international aid in February. That left the global humanitarian community scrambling to keep life-saving operations afloat. 'We are proud of the achievements, but worried about this sudden disruption reversing the gains we have made,' UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima told AFP ahead of the report's launch in Johannesburg. The agency in April warned that a permanent discontinuation of PEPFAR, the massive US effort to fight HIV/AIDS, would lead to more than six million new infections and an additional 4.2 million AIDS-related deaths in the next four years. This would bring the pandemic back to levels not seen since the early 2000s. 'This is not just a funding gap,' Byanyima said in a press release. 'It's a ticking time bomb' whose effects are already felt worldwide. Over 60 percent of all women-led HIV organisations surveyed by UNAIDS had lost funding or had to suspend services, the report said. In a striking example, the number of people receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs to prevent transmission in Nigeria fell by over 85 percent in the first few months of 2025. The 'story of how the world has come together' to fight HIV/AIDS is 'one of the most important stories of progress in global health', Byanyima told AFP. 'But that great story has been disrupted massively' by Trump's 'unprecedented' and 'cruel' move, she said. 'Priorities can shift, but you do not take away life-saving support from people just like that,' she said. Crucial medical research on prevention and treatment have also shut down, including many in South Africa which has one of the highest HIV rates in the world and has become a leader in global research. 'Developing countries themselves contribute very much towards the research on HIV and AIDS, and that research serves the whole world,' Byanyima said. In 25 out of 60 low- and middle-income countries surveyed by UNAIDS, governments had found ways to compensate part of the funding shortfall with domestic resources. 'We have to move towards nationally owned and financed responses,' Byaniyma said. She called for debt relief and the reform of international financial institutions to 'free up the fiscal space for developing countries to pay for their own response'. 'It is the responsibility of every government to provide for its people,' South Africa's health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said at the report's launch, calling the US pullout a 'wake-up call'. The global HIV response built from grassroots activism was 'resilient by its very nature', Byanyima told AFP. 'We moved from people dying every single day to now a point where it is really like a chronic illness,' she said. 'There is no question that the investment has been worth it, and continues to be worth it. It saves lives.'
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Asia sees fresh Covid-19 spike
Listen to article COVID-19 infections are rising sharply in parts of Asia, with Hong Kong and Singapore reporting significant increases in cases and hospitalisations, prompting health authorities to raise concerns over a fresh wave. In Hong Kong, officials report that virus activity is at its highest level in a year. Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at the Centre for Health Protection, stated that the positivity rate for respiratory samples has surged. 31 COVID-related deaths were recorded in the week ending May 3, alongside rising hospital visits and sewage viral loads—strong indicators of widespread community transmission. The surge in Hong Kong also affected public events, with singer Eason Chan cancelling scheduled performances in Taiwan after testing positive for the virus. In Singapore, the Ministry of Health noted a 28% rise in COVID-19 cases in the first week of May, with hospitalisations increasing by about 30%. This prompted the country's first major COVID-19 update in nearly a year. Officials attributed the increase to waning immunity and urged vulnerable groups to stay updated with booster doses. Authorities added there was no evidence that current variants were more transmissible or severe. In mainland China, test positivity rates in hospitals more than doubled over a five-week period ending May 4. Thailand also reported cluster outbreaks following the annual Songkran festival in April, further highlighting regional concerns. Despite rising trends elsewhere, India remains unaffected for now. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country currently reports only 93 active COVID-19 cases, with no signs of a new wave. Public health officials across the region are urging populations, especially high-risk groups, to maintain vaccine protection as a precautionary measure.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Antibiotic access crisis fuels spread of superbugs in poorer countries
Listen to article Less than 7% of people with severe drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are receiving the antibiotics they need, according to a new study that warns the shortfall is fuelling deaths and driving the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The research, published in "The Lancet Infectious Diseases", estimates nearly 1.5 million infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacteria occurred across eight countries in 2019, resulting in almost 480,000 deaths. Yet, just under 104,000 appropriate antibiotic courses were distributed, covering only 6.9% of cases on average—ranging from as low as 0.2% in Kenya to around 15% in Mexico and Egypt. "The stark reality is that most people with highly drug-resistant infections are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," said Dr Jennifer Cohn, global access director at the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GardP), which led the study. CRGN infections—found in pneumonia, bloodstream infections and complicated urinary tract infections—are increasingly common and difficult to treat. When left without effective drugs, they result in longer illness, higher death rates and greater risk of spreading resistant strains. Cohn and her colleagues argue that global attention has focused too heavily on antibiotic overuse, while underestimating the lack of access in poorer regions. 'Innovative drugs are being introduced in wealthy nations,' she said. 'But the highest burden is not there.' The researchers studied data from Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and South Africa. They matched estimated CRGN cases to sales data of eight effective antibiotics, revealing the large treatment gap. AMR, which occurs when bacteria evolve to resist treatment, is forecast to kill 1.9 million people a year by 2050 if left unchecked. The report calls for urgent global investment in equitable access, similar to the international push that brought HIV drugs to Africa. Barriers to access include limited hospital availability, high treatment costs, and lack of national procurement systems. 'We can't just focus on stewardship in poorer countries and innovation in rich ones,' said Cohn. 'We need both, everywhere, at the same time.'
