The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance became a public health problem. According to vice director for transmitted disease prevention and control of the National Public Health Center Nicolae Furtuna, the most often causes for antibiotic resistance include self-treatment, prescription of too many antibiotics and the commercial interest of drugstores, IPN reports.

“Self-treatment by taking anti-microbial preparations is a classical Moldovan trend. Drugs are taken in an uncontrolled way, including in cases of acute viral infections. There is also the commercial interest of drugstores to sell preparations and make profit. This phenomenon exists and we do not have the right to ignore it. Another moment is that some doctors prescribe too many antibiotics. It is regrettable that this thing comes from inside the system,” stated Nicolae Furtuna.

The unjustified and uncontrolled consumption of antibiotics accelerates the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. This fact diminishes the capacity to treat infectious diseases and undermines many of the accomplishments in medicine. During the last 25 years, there was discovered no new class of antibiotics and the rising number of infections, including tuberculosis, are treated with increased difficulty as the drugs become inefficient.

“Figures show that about half a million cases of multidrug resistant diseases are annually recoded worldwide. These are responsible for about 15,000 deaths annually. We already started to record new cases of tuberculosis that cannot be treated,” stated Nicolae Furtuna.

The consumption of meat of animals grown with antibiotics is another cause that leads to antibiotic resistance. According to Nicolae Furtuna, the antibiotics gather in meat, milk and eggs and when these are eastern contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Different activities to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance will be carried out in a number of institutions and public places in Moldova as part of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week during November 13-19.