HEALTH care partners across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are supporting the World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 from November 18 to 24 by supporting this year’s theme of ‘Educate. Advocate. Act now.’
People are being asked to think about their antibiotic usage.
The more use of antimicrobials, the greater the risk of gaining a resistance to the drugs prescribed, and as a result antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) annual conference, showed that an estimated 58,224 people in England had an antibiotic-resistant infection in 2022 – a rise of 4 per cent since 2021.
Deaths due to severe antibiotic-resistant infections also increased from 2021 to 2022.
Will Taylor, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire said: “Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or stopping it from spreading and helps the body’s natural immune system to fight the infection.
“They don’t treat or prevent viruses which can cause coughs and colds and other infection.
“Overuse or taking antibiotics when they are not needed can have an adverse effect, putting you and your family at risk. Many routine treatments such as setting broken bones or cancer chemotherapy rely on having antibiotics that work.
“We all need to work together to stop inappropriate antibiotic use.”
