On 18 November 2016, as part of the 9th European Antibiotics Awareness Day, the Luxembourg Ministry of Health has reiterated European efforts to promote the proper use of antibiotics with the awareness campaign “Antibiotics are not sweets!”
The campaign comes at a time when the increase of bacteria which is resistant to antibiotics is a major public health issue in Europe and this is linked to the misuse of antibiotics. Currently, the European Union records 25,000 deaths per year as a result of infections which have become resistant to all antibiotics.
As Dr Jean-Claude Schmit, the director of Health, highlighted: “Antibiotics are among the most commonly used medication in the world. Turning to antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine is on the rise and has considerably accelerated the development of resistance to a new record. This evolution affects all countries, rich or poor, where the access to effective antibiotics remains a big problem.”
However, in modern medicine, antibiotics have significantly contributed to remarkable medical achievements.
On a national level, Luxembourg is one of the Member states of the EU which has experienced a fall in the consumption and prescription of antibiotics during the past two consecutive years in both the ambulatory and hospital sector.
Nevertheless, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey (April 2016), one in four people in the Grand Duchy still believe that antibiotics kill viruses, and only 66% of the Luxembourgish population claim that antibiotics are not effective against the common cold and flu. Therefore, it is important to spread awareness and information regarding the proper use of antibiotics.
Firstly, antibiotics have no effect on viruses such as the cold and flu.
Moreover, it is important to preserve the efficiency of antibiotics in general. For instance, it is important to respect the dose and the period of treatment prescribed by the doctor and to not stop the treatment too soon, even if the patient is feeling better. It is also important not to give the antibiotics to another person nor to reuse the antibiotics later for what may appear to be similar symptoms. Likewise, one should not insist on being prescribed antibiotics for viral illnesses such as the cold or a cough, nor should one be prescribed antibiotics when it has not been proven to be a bacterial infection. Finally, in order to prevent infection, it is important to wash one’s hands regularly, avoid contact with sick people and keeping up-to-date with vaccinations.
Photo by MSAN
