Populations around the world have misperceptions of antimicrobial resistance, which reinforces the health threat.
Antibiotic resistance threatens all populations of the world. And yet, the ignorance linked to the causes of this health emergency is reaching planetary proportions. This is the finding of a vast study conducted by the World Health Organization in twelve countries.
The authors of this work thus questioned 10,000 people about their knowledge of antimicrobial resistance. They underline very strong gaps in the practices and in the understanding of this phenomenon, which largely contribute to reinforce it.
Antibiotics and viruses
Indeed, if nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) believe that they can be affected, in one way or another, by antimicrobial resistance, they are at least as many to ignore the reasons for this threat.
“For example, 64% of participants believe that antibiotics can be used to treat colds and flu, while these treatments have no impact on viruses, said the WHO in a statement. Almost a third (32%) of people think that they should stop taking their antibiotics when they feel better, rather than continuing the treatment throughout its prescription period ”.
Excessive consumption
In fact, respondents tend to think that antibiotic resistance is linked, individually, to excessive consumption of antibiotics over the course of one’s life. Thus, 44% believe that resistance is linked to the regularity of treatment. “In fact, anyone can get an infection resistant to antibiotics, regardless of age or country.”
In addition, three quarters of the people questioned believe that it is the organism (human or animal) which becomes resistant to the treatment – whereas it is the bacteria. The spread of these ultra-resistant bacteria is precisely the reason for this threat, but few respondents identified it.
Unwelcome optimism
Finally, more than half (57%) of respondents believe that they have no particular role to play in limiting antibiotic resistance; almost two-thirds (64%) believe that the scientific community will overcome this problem before it gets too serious. Results which are at the very least perplexing …
To put an end to this phenomenon, the WHO recommends taking antibiotics only if they have been prescribed by a doctor, to always follow the prescribed treatment to the end even when you feel better, never to use antibiotics left over from a previous prescription and never share antibiotics with other people.
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