The War against Bacterial Resistance

Nowadays, people are not new to the fact that there is emerging bacterial resistance and

bacterial diseases are getting harder and harder to treat. This resistance is amplifying at an alarming rate

that we are succumbing to the era when antibiotics were not yet discovered. Bacterial resistance occurs

when bacteria change and adapt in response to the repetitive use of antibiotics. Infections from these

bacteria are difficult to treat since available drugs cannot combat these resistant organisms.

According to the World Health Organization, bacterial resistance is one of the biggest threats to

global health, food security and development today. Back to the time when the first antibiotic was

discovered, a huge medical intervention shocked the world. Fatal diseases of the pre-antibiotic era

happened to be not as threatening as before. However today, bacteria such as Streptococcus spp. and

Staphylococcus spp., which are responsible for suppurative skin infections, have become resistant to the

famous antibiotic “penicillin”. WHO also states that the resistance to penicillin has already reached 51%

among reporting countries. Furthermore, resistance to ciprofloxacin has already reached 8 – 65% in E.

coli-associated urinary tract infections. To sum up, skin infections and urinary tract infections might

become untreatable in the future.

Immediate actions are being done simultaneously all over the world in cooperation to combat

the resistance. Thorough dissemination of education regarding this matter rules out other solutions. This

has been concluded because bacterial resistance has evolved due to the improper use of people mainly

due to lack of education about the hazards of usage without following proper prescriptions and the like.

Seminars, television and social media advertisements, and extension work may also deem effective if

the government and people would work cooperatively. The first thing to do is to spark the matter;

showing the people that we are about to face a far more dreaded epidemic if this is not given action
immediately. This solution does not require years to be proposed and conducted, but rather many heads

to do the work as fast as possible. It will be workable if the government will fund these future proposals.

Since the ban of purchasing antibiotics without prescription has been implemented already,

strict implementation of proper usage must be taught to the people. Other things must also be

considered as alternatives to antibiotic use such as herbal medicines and vaccinations. Furthermore,

speakers of the seminars must be credible and eloquent to guarantee the optimum effect to people. To

add to these, advertisements must be worthwhile to catch the attention of the people watching

televisions and using social media.

We, as people being threatened by the superbugs of today, must be one in taking the step to

fight in this war. Bacterial resistance is not just a fight of our governments or the World Health

Organization. It is the fight of the human race against mass extinction.