According to a recent study, illnesses resistant to medicines are thought to have killed over three million children in 2022, many of whom were from Southeast Asia and Africa. In reference to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) infections, the paper published in Austria on Sunday stated, "The study underscores the urgent need for both regional and global strategies to combat pediatric AMR."
"Children are particularly susceptible to infections, making AMR a serious threat to them." According to the report by the scientific association ESCMID, problems associated with the illnesses caused the deaths of around 659,000 children in Africa and 752,000 children in Southeast Asia. In other parts of the world, almost 1.5 million deaths were reported.
According to Professor Joseph Harwell, a co-author of the Clinton Health Access Initiative report, some bacteria have evolved to become more resistant to certain antibiotics as a result of the overuse or abuse of certain drugs. "There will be few, if any, alternatives for treating multidrug-resistant infections if bacteria become resistant to these antibiotics," Harwell stated. According to him, there are "several serious long-term risks" associated with the increased usage of various antibiotics, particularly for youngsters. Two million of the projected three million child fatalities in 2022 have been linked to the usage of antibiotics classified as Watch and Reserve. Reserve antibiotics are used as last resorts for severe, multidrug-resistant illnesses, whereas watch antibiotics are medications with a high chance of developing resistance.
Although neither antibiotic is meant to be used as a first-line treatment, its use has skyrocketed throughout Asia and Africa. According to the study, a number of variables, such as overcrowded hospitals, inadequate sanitation, and ineffective infection prevention measures, increase the severity of antibiotic-resistant illnesses in low- and middle-income nations. It further stated that it is challenging to monitor resistance trends and create efficient treatment procedures in those nations due to a lack of efficient surveillance. The report also stated that "urgent and coordinated action at both regional and global levels is required to address this issue."