Day of Knowledge about antibiotics
November 18 – European Day of Knowledge about Antibiotics
Today, November 18, the European Day of Knowledge about Antibiotics (European Antibiotic Awareness Day) is celebrated. Its purpose is to tell the population about how to properly use these essential medicines. Due to the uncontrolled use of antibiotics, non-compliance with doctor's recommendations, as well as use without indications, we may face the problem of bacterial resistance and the ineffectiveness of the treatment of infectious diseases. In Russia, this day is celebrated for the first time, thanks to the initiative of the Alliance of Clinical Chemotherapists and Microbiologists and the pharmaceutical company Astellas, a leader in the field of anti-infectious drug therapy. The topic of the European Day of Knowledge about Antibiotics in 2014 was the problem of self-medication. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 40% of Europeans are clearly confident that antibiotics are effective against colds and flu. In Russia, 46% of people who prescribe antibacterial drugs for themselves at the first symptoms of such diseases, in total, they use them in 86.4% of cases when self-medicating!
Sergey Yakovlev, President of the Interregional Public Organization "Alliance of Clinical Chemotherapists and Microbiologists": "The threat that antibiotics may be ineffective for the treatment of the most common infectious diseases is not a myth, but a reality. The low level of knowledge among the population about these drugs, the desire of patients to treat with their help any diseases, colds, flu, low access to specialists, non–compliance with the doctor's recommendations regarding the course of medication - all this contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance. The situation is also aggravated by insufficient control over their use in veterinary medicine and agriculture, in the cultivation of cattle and poultry. As a result, we get bacteria on which antibiotics cease to act. Due to the fact that there are no new antibacterial drugs on the market yet, it is necessary to take care of those that are. Otherwise, antibiotic resistance will become a threat to national security."
In 2001, experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time expressed concern that due to irrational prescribing of antibiotics, these drugs may soon begin to lose their effectiveness. Today, the whole world community is concerned about the issue of antibiotic resistance. Vladimir Shukhov, Advisor to the WHO European Office's Drug Policy Program in the CIS: "Excessive and often unjustified use of antibiotics by the population, misconceptions and underestimation of the problem of resistance by doctors and pharmacists leads to the spread of bacterial resistance to drug exposure. As a result, in Europe we have up to 25 thousand deaths of patients both in hospitals and at home, the cause of which was the lack of reaction to the ongoing antibacterial treatment. The WHO Global Strategy to address the problem of antibiotic resistance is aimed both at educating doctors and informing the population about the rational use of such drugs. Moreover, at the state levels, it is necessary to monitor cases of resistance to certain diseases, stimulate the development of new antibacterial drugs. In addition, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal husbandry should be restricted worldwide. In order to preserve antibiotics, it is necessary to combine the efforts of state authorities, doctors, pharmaceutical business, as well as the entire population."
On the initiative of the Alliance of Clinical Chemotherapists and Microbiologists and the pharmaceutical company Astellas, a leader in the field of antibiotics, a public awareness program "Protect yourself from infections" has been launched in Russia since September 2014. At the first stage of the program, which covers 10 cities of the country, information campaigns are conducted for the population about infectious diseases, their pathogens, prevention and diagnosis. In addition, those who wish are given the opportunity to undergo laboratory diagnostics for sexually transmitted infections, as well as Helicobacter pylori and get specialist advice. Elena Petraneva, Medical Director of Astellas: "Antibiotics are one of the key areas in our company's activities. Therefore, Astellas, together with the medical, academic community and leading experts in the field of antimicrobial therapy, initiated a special campaign aimed at informing the population about infectious diseases. We are absolutely sure that our initiative will help many people to understand the issues of infectious diseases, which, of course, is an important step in solving the problem of their prevention and treatment."
Astellas develops and manufactures various antibiotics, in various doses and dosage forms, which helps the doctor to individually select effective treatment for each patient. One of the most effective ways to overcome the problem of antibacterial resistance is the use of a dispersible tablet produced using a unique, patent-protected technology. It has such a high absorbability in the gastrointestinal tract that it can replace an antibiotic injection. The creation of antibiotics is one of the greatest achievements in medicine, with their appearance infectious diseases have become curable. This made it possible to reduce the mortality rate of the population of developed countries and led to an increase in people's life expectancy. Experts urge: do not use antibiotics yourself! Antibiotics are serious drugs: only a doctor can choose the most effective one for a patient.
Based on the materials of the press release
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru18.11.2014