Medics in Murang’a County have raised concerns over the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance occasioned by misuse and overuse of antibiotics.
During a sensitization forum to mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week held at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital, the health workers divulged that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics are fueling the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance, posing a serious threat to public health.
A clinical pharmacist Dr. Loise Kariuki, cautioned that unnecessary use of the drugs could render them ineffective in treating infections.
“Individuals should avoid over-the-counter drugs and only use prescribed antibiotics to reduce the alarming resistance. Likewise, health practitioners should also not prescribe antibiotics when there is no need, to avoid its over-use,” she said.
Dr. Kariuki also pointed to the improper use of antibiotics in farming as another contributing factor, warning that residues of these drugs in meat, crops, and other animal products can be transferred to humans through consumption.
“When we consume these residues, the antibiotics may fail to work against infections, leading to complications in treatment,” she explained.
To combat this, she urged farmers to vaccinate animals as a preventive measure, reducing the need for antibiotics.
Further, Kariuki cautioned against the widespread use of azithromycin, commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the drug is meant to treat bacterial infections and not viruses.
“When most people catch a sore throat, they are prescribed azithromycin, which has many uses. However, its use in unnecessary situations could make it ineffective for its intended purposes in the future,” she said.
On her part, Grace Njoki, a veterinary officer from Maragua Sub-County, discouraged consuming products from animals that are on antibiotics.
She encouraged farmers to wait until the withdrawal period is over before selling or consuming products from animals treated with antibiotics.
Meat, eggs, or milk from animals treated on antibiotics should not be consumed until the withdrawal period is over,” she said, “The reason we have a withdrawal period is so that the antibiotic can be out of the system of the animal so the food can be safe.”
Njoki cautioned that consuming products from animals still under antibiotic treatment could not only pose health risks but also fuel antibiotic resistance.
By Bernard Munyao and Anjilwa Francis
