Page 67 - 15DEC2018E

COLUMN

Overuse of antibiotics

doesn’t cure, but kills

ecember is here. So is winter. Globally, drug-resistant infections are
Almost every other person falls predicted to the reason for an estimated
THE LAST prey to cold and flu. The only 2.4 million deaths in developed countries
way to deal with these viral in-
alone by 2050. Sadly, the pharmaceutical
WORD Dfections, we generally believe, industry, in general, is not much interested
in investing time and money in researching
is to resort to antibiotics. Many of us don’t
ABDUL WASEY even bother to consult the doctor before ap- for new antibiotics as the drug discovery of
proaching a pharmacy. These pharmacists any kind is inordinately expensive. Major-
rarely bother to inform us that antibiotics ity of the drugmakers are not ready to block
are used to treat infections caused by bac- billions of rupees for research and develop-
teria and they don’t work against infections ment of an antibiotic that can cure an infec-
caused by viruses, that include cold and flu. tion in five to 10 days. The same fund and re-
Such misuse and overuse of these kind of sources, according to them, could be better
medicines have helped a growing number utilised on medications for conditions like
of bacteria become resistant to most or all high cholesterol or blood pressure, which
antibiotics — a phenomenon doctors are are typically taken for life. Moreover, a new
calling a crisis as there are no alternative antibiotic may have a limited shelf life as
in sight for these drugs. However, patients, the bugs it treats may develop resistance.
doctors and pharmacists are not
the only ones to be blamed for the Governments, private
worsening human health condi-
tions. In fact, they are just small firms and powerful
players.
The inaction and indifference individuals are not
of governments, private corpo- doing enough to
rations and powerful individuals
should more be blamed for not halt a post-antibiotic
stalling a post-antibiotic apoca- apocalypse
lypse. Antibiotics, for example, are
being liberally used for decades
to promote the health of farm The Central government must intervene
animals meant for our food. The to halt the death toll from the misuse of an-
environmental contamination tibiotics, which is growing at an alarming
by the ubiquitous drugs have led rate. Around 58,000 infants, according to a
to so-called superbugs like MRSA 2013 estimate, die across the country each
and VRE that have developed resistance year due to sepsis from resistant bacteria. If
to their effects. Had India, like its Western the policymakers continue to delay the for-
counterparts, set regulations for antibiotic mulation of regulations on the use of anti-
use in poultry, drugmakers such as Zoetis biotics, the health of common people would
would not have been able to serve illnesses remain at grave risk. Unlike Drugs and Cos-
on our plates. After all, more than 70 per metics Rules 1945, the new laws should be
cent of Indians are non-vegetarians. strictly implemented to curb the overuse of
As per a 2016 PLOS Medicine paper, 416 antibiotics by human beings; its misuse in
of every 100,000 Indians die of infectious the veterinary sector; and environmental
diseases each year. This is more than twice antibiotic contamination due to pharma
the crude infectious-disease mortality rate and hospital discharge. Else, India will have
in the US in the 1940s when antibiotics no one to blame but itself.
were first used there. If these miracle drugs
stop working, India will be the hardest hit. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 66 WWW.TEHELKA.COM
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