• A WHO 2019 report indicated that infections that are resistant to antibiotics could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050.
• By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty, yet data on AMR is lacking, says UN.
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Kenyans have been told to stop misusing antibiotics.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a condition that occurs when infections become resistant to the drugs designed to treat them.
Kenya Medical Research Institute acting director general Samuel Kariuki on Tuesday said AMR is a growing pandemic similar to Covid-19.
“It poses a great challenge, as most citizens and community members are unaware of the risk associated with over or underdosing of drugs, as well and buying drugs over the counter without a prescription,” he said.
He spoke during a media roundtable on the use of citizen-generated data to address antimicrobial resistance in Kenya. The meeting was organised by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.
Kariuki said antibiotics underpin modern medicine but are becoming less effective. This, he said, is due to AMR infections becoming resistant to drugs.
According to WHO, AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and parasites change when they are exposed to an antimicrobial drug. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread.
“At least 700,000 people die every year because of drug-resistant infections. By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty,” Kariuki said.
Karen Bett, the policy manager for the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, said engaging citizens on AMR—and in the process generating data with them—can help close data gaps and support citizens to take action on AMR.
This she said can spur data-driven action by policymakers, but for this to happen, the media must play a critical role in awareness-raising.
"AMR is a growing global threat and action to tackle drug-resistant infections is not happening at the scale and urgency needed. But the public understanding of antimicrobial resistance and its impact is currently limited. The media can help change this by communicating more powerfully and engaging citizens meaningfully on AMR," she said.
Bett said the key drivers of AMR include risky health-seeking practices on antibiotics among citizens, lack of detailed guidance on the use of antibiotics and consequences, inadequate and under-resourced health services.
Others include perceptions of quality of medicines, weak enforcement and awareness of regulations on medicines.
She added that tackling AMR is a shared responsibility and that citizens should change their practices and stop misusing antimicrobials.
“Investment in AMR is a public health priority, and policymakers should embrace citizen-generated data,” said Bett, adding that citizen voices should be incorporated in research that targets challenges on AMR.