The global status of antimicrobial resistance: A long way to go

Abstract

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has jeopardized the prevention and therapeutic option to a broad range of infections caused by microorganisms. The findings of a recently released global survey depicted that 68%, 44% and 80% of the 154 participating nations have developed a surveillance system for reporting drug-resistant infections among humans, tracking consumption of drugs, and establishment of necessary policies to regulate the sale of the drugs respectively. Despite the presence of these measures, the presence of unregulated medicines cannot be denied and it won't be wrong to say that drugs are being sold over the counter and without the prescription. In other words, these are a direct indication that there is an immense need for better investment and focused actions to respond to the problem. To summarize, antimicrobial resistance is a major and a serious threat to the global public health and essentially requires interventions across different nations and communities to deal with the problem.