“Merely 70 years after the discovery of antibiotics, we risk not having efficient medication to treat bacterial infection”, alerts the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Union agency for the area of health. The units from Hospital da Luz network join the European Antibiotic Awareness Day , an initiative of ECDC, this year celebrated on November 18, integrated in the World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18 to 24 November), organized by the World Health Organization. These dates have the purpose of raising awareness of the population for the correct use of antibiotics – which is a responsibility of all, from citizens to health professionals involved in its prescription and distribution, in terms of humans and animals – contributing to the reduction of antimicrobial resistance. Antibodies are medication destined for the treatment of infection caused by bacteria, not acting on infection caused by virus (which is the case of colds and flu). Learn that: Antibiotic resistance is the capacity of a bacteria to resist the action of antibiotics. The excessive or inappropriate use of antibiotics has seriously increased resistance, restricting the number of antibiotics available for the treatment of several diseases. Before the discovery of antibiotics, thousands of people died in the sequence of bacterial diseases, such as pneumonia or post-surgical infection. Since antibiotics started to be used, more and more bacteria that were treated became resistant – which, combined with the fact that few new antibiotics were discovered in latest years, turned bacterial resistance into a real threat to public health. Without efficient antibiotics, we will not be able to count with a series of medical care, such as organ transplantation, oncologic treatment with chemotherapy, intensive care, bone fracture repair surgery and caesarean section. Without efficient antibiotics, bacterial diseases will spread. The World Health Organization estimates that, by 2050, if nothing is done in the meanwhile, infection caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria will be the cause of death of 10 million people per year, all over the world – the equivalent to Portugal’s current population, and to the total of deaths caused by Spanish flu pandemic in the 20 th century. We all have, therefore, a role to play . In Hospital da Luz network units, we are committed to this cause and show you what you can do .
