It’s Antibiotic Awareness Week 18th – 24th November 2019 so I thought what’s best than sharing a little wisdom and to ask you to share your stories?
Antibiotics created a milestone in human history, as recent as 1920! They paved the way to curing often fatal bacterial infections such as meningitis and septicaemia and treating those that could develop further and greatly decrease a person’s quality of life such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and respiratory infections. Back in the 1930’s Alexander Fleming foretold of the misuse of antibiotics and how bacteria of ALL strains could develop a resistance…
Fast forward 100 years and since the discovery of antibiotics and we have reached a crisis. We now have superbugs and people’s lives are at risk from bacterial infections through illness or surgery. In the past 40 years due to a research void we have discovered just 2 new antibiotics. Compare this to a population of bacteria’s evolution rate and that is NOT enough.
Antibiotics have been misused by patients not taking the full dose, people being prescribed antibiotics improperly or for too long at a time, even through to farming and being drip fed antibiotics in our environment.
There IS a way we can all help. Charities like Antibiotic Research UK are funding the development of new antibiotics. Donations always help, but education is KEY. Check out their website for more information on antibiotic advice and donations: https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/support-us/donate/