Antibiotic resistance is predicted to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050.

The information was given by Professor Stephen Baker, Cambridge University (UK), at the first international scientific conference, Thu Duc City, on August 10. He said that the world is in a period when there are not many antibiotic options, a new drug is introduced to the market for about 3 years, then antibiotic resistance appears.

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in Asia, especially Southeast Asia, where the use of antibiotics in livestock farming is widespread. During more than 10 years of collaborative research at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, the professor found that the main problem was the easy access of people to antibiotics.

“This is a disaster,” he said. For example, the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, which normally inhabits the human gut, has become resistant to antibiotics and causes serious illness. Many of the bacteria are resistant to all available drugs, sometimes requiring combinations of drugs to be effective.

Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Infectious Diseases Association, said that after the "golden era" (around the 50s and 60s), fewer and fewer antibiotics were invented, and their effectiveness gradually decreased over time. Currently, a new antibiotic is only available every 5-10 years, and most bacteria will become resistant to the drug shortly after its introduction.

“Strains of resistant bacteria are constantly emerging,” said Dr. Chau. This creates a future burden of disease, making infectious diseases an endless global challenge. Pathogens are always evolving, so humans must constantly face new and re-emerging diseases.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam is among the countries with the highest rates of antibiotic resistance in the world. Most antibiotics are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, while drug sellers are often inexperienced.

Some people go to the doctor, use antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor, but find that they only need to take the medicine for 2-3 days to see the effect, then when they are cured, they automatically stop taking the medicine, not taking the full dose. This is also using antibiotics incorrectly, indiscriminately, affecting the consequences later. Or some people go to see this doctor, take it for a few days without feeling better, then go to see another doctor, are given a different prescription, change the medicine continuously, causing many risks of antibiotic resistance.

Every year, millions of people die worldwide from antibiotic resistance, including 1.4 million children. If resistant, patients have to stay in hospital longer and mortality rates increase across all age groups. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, the global cost of antibiotic resistance will reach $100 trillion and cause about 10 million deaths each year. The economic consequences of antibiotic resistance are said to be as severe as the financial crisis.

Experts say there needs to be a comprehensive strategy to approach this issue on many different “fronts”. According to Dr. Chau, scientific research is an irreplaceable measure to respond to outbreaks of pathogens.

When you have health problems, you need to go to medical facilities for examination and treatment. Only buy and use antibiotics with prescriptions, according to the instructions of medical staff. Use antibiotics in the right dose, for the right duration, and do not stop halfway when you feel better. Do not use leftover antibiotics from previous treatments, or prescriptions from others.

Prevent bacterial infections by washing hands regularly, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, preparing and using safe food, limiting contact with sick people, getting vaccinated on time... Improve your health to fight diseases by exercising regularly, providing adequate nutrition, getting enough sleep, and practicing healthy living habits.