WHO concerned about increased consumption of antibiotics in Europe
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has expressed concern about the increased consumption of antibiotics and the associated problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), TASS reports
WHO experts include AMR among the ten global threats to human health, estimating that this problem causes the deaths of 5 million people worldwide every year. Without urgent action, AMR could potentially claim 10 million lives each year by 2050, with low- and middle-income countries to be mostly hit.
The study was conducted across 14 countries and cover over 8,200 people. Half of them have taken oral antibiotics in the last year. The majority (67 percent) of medications were prescribed by physicians or were administered by doctors themselves. Indications for use included colds (24 percent), flu symptoms (16 percent), sore throat (21 percent) and cough (18 percent), which is cause for concern because these symptoms are often caused by viruses and can’t be treated with antibiotics.
The study also showed widespread over-the-counter use of antibiotics. Thus, in 14 countries of the WHO European Region it is 33 percent, and in some places this figure exceeds 40 percent. In EU member states, by contrast, over-the-counter antibiotic use accounted for only 8 percent in 2022.
