The Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko warns: in 10 years, the irresponsible use of antibiotics may lead to incurable diseases and complete paralysis of modern medicine. He stated this on the air of the telethon, emphasizing the importance of following the recommendations of doctors.
Consequences of antibiotic resistance
The minister warns that uncontrolled use of antibiotics can lead to:
- Transplantation stops. Complications after operations will become almost impossible to treat.
- Appearance of incurable diseases. For example, pneumonia can turn into a death sentence.
- Return of "forgotten" infections. Microorganisms resistant to drugs will once again become the cause of epidemics.
"Antibiotics are not candy, but powerful medicines that can be used only as prescribed by a doctor," Lyashko stressed.
How resistance is formed
Antibiotic resistance does not develop in a person, but in microorganisms that live in his body. With unfounded use of drugs, bacteria adapt and become resistant to treatment. As a result, even the right therapy can be ineffective.
"Resistance of microorganisms causes the disease to progress, which forces us to look for other treatment regimens, often with a lower chance of success," the minister explained.
Why has the problem worsened?
- The COVID-19 pandemic. Many people mistakenly treated the virus with antibiotics, which contributed to the growth of resistance of microbes.
- War in Ukraine. Due to mass injuries and evacuation of patients, people are exposed to various infections, which increases the burden on medicine.
- Imperfect infection control in hospitals. A large flow of patients and emergency situations reduce the priority of combating nosocomial infections.
What to do?
Lyashko emphasized that only the responsible use of antibiotics can stop this process. Medicines should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor, observing the correct doses and duration of treatment.
The global crisis of antibiotic resistance requires immediate attention and action, because it has already become one of the key challenges for modern medicine in Ukraine and the world.
