Scientists talk about millions of deaths and a “creeping pandemic”. Poland at the forefront. No, it’s not COVID

In our country, as many as 45 million packages of antibiotics were purchased last year. Meanwhile, experts warn that growing resistance to this type of drugs will eventually cause 10 million deaths annually around the world. As emphasized by prof. Waleria Hryniewicz from the National Medicines Institute – – it will be a higher number than due to cancer.

Antibiotic resistance – “the creeping pandemic of the 21st century”

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest global health threats. It is estimated that in 2019 it caused the death of approximately five million people – the United Nations Environment Programme. The problem was noticed, among others, by the European Commission, which called it a “creeping pandemic of the 21st century”. In the opinion of prof. Hryniewicz, the growing antibiotic resistance is primarily caused by the irrational use of these agents, and Poland is unfortunately a leader in this. In turn, Dr. Michał Sutkowski, spokesman for the College of Family Physicians, reminds that nearly 95 percent infections are caused by viruses that are ineffective against antibiotics. He adds that their abuse by patients and doctors who prescribe them “is a tragedy.”

Climate change and microbes

Poland is a country that does not yet have a national strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. Unlike other European Union countries. Prof. Hryniewicz reminds that the previously existing National Antibiotic Protection Program was considered unnecessary in our country. The expert adds that the following factors contribute to strengthening bacterial resistance to antibiotics: global warming, which causes viruses to migrate to northern regions. In her opinion, as part of the fight against antibiotic resistance, the regulation of the Minister of Health of September 2023 should be withdrawn. Thanks to it, antibiotics will be free of charge for children up to 18 years of age and for seniors over 65 years of age. Another dangerous aspect is the mass use of antibiotics by veterinarians, breeders and farmers in Poland – reports the Polish Press Agency. In our country, the amount of antibiotics used in these sectors has tripled in a decade.