Latest news with #YanhongJessikaHu
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Three million children die globally sake of antibiotics resistance
More dan three million children around di world dey believed to don die for 2022 as a result of infections wey dey resistant to antibiotics. Dis na according to a study by two leading experts for child health. Dem find out say na children for Africa and South East Asia dey at risk pass. Antimicrobial resistance - known as AMR - dey develop wen di microbes wey dey cause infections evolve in such a way wey antibiotic drugs no dey work. E dey identified as one of di biggest public health threats wey dey face di world population. One new study now reveal di toll wey AMR dey take on children. Using data from multiple sources wey include di World Health Organization (WHO) and di World Bank, di report authors don calculate say e get more dan three million child deaths for 2022 wey dey linked to drug-resistant infections. Sabi pipo say dis new study highlights more dan tenfold increase for AMR-related infections in children for just three years. Di number fit even dey worse by di impact of di Covid pandemic. Increased use of antibiotics Dem dey use antibiotics to treat or prevent different types of bacterial infections - evritin from skin infections to pneumonia. Dem dey also sometimes give as precaution to prevent, rather dan treat an infection - for example if pesin get operation or dey receive chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Antibiotics no get impact on viral infections, though - illnesses such as di common cold, flu or Covid. But some bacteria don evolve as resistance to some drugs, due to dia overuse and inappropriate use, while di production of new antibiotics - a lengthy and costly process - don slow down. Di report lead authors, Doctor Yanhong Jessika Hu of Murdoch Children Research Institute for Australia and Professor Herb Harwell of di Clinton Health Access Initiative, point to a significant growth for di use of antibiotics wey suppose dey for only di most serious infections. Between 2019 and 2021 di use of "watch antibiotics", drugs wit a high risk of resistance, increase by 160% for South East Asia and 126% for Africa. Ova di same period, "reserve antibiotics", di last-resort treatments for severe, multidrug-resistant infections rise by 45% for South East Asia and 125% for Africa. Why options dey drop Di authors warn say if bacteria develop resistance to dis antibiotics, e go get few alternatives for treating multidrug-resistant infections, if any one go dey. Prof Harwell dey present di findings at di Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases for Vienna later dis month. "AMR na global problem. E dey affect evri one. We do dis work really to focus on di disproportionate way wey AMR dey affect children," e tok ahead of di event. "We estimate three million deaths of children worldwide associated wit antimicrobial resistance." Solution dey for AMR? WHO describe AMR as one of di most serious global health threats, we face, but Prof Harwell from Vienna warn say e no get any easy answers. "Na multi-faceted problem wey dey extend into all aspects of medicine and really, human life," e tok. "Antibiotics dey evriwia around us, dem end up for our food and di environment and to come up wit a single solution no dey easy." Di best way to avoid resistant infection na to avoid infection altogeda, wey mean higher levels of immunisation, water sanitation and hygiene dey needed, e add. "More antibiotics no go dey to use becos e get more pipo wey need dem, but we gatz make sure say e dey used appropriately and di correct medicines dey used." Dr Lindsey Edwards, wey be senior lecturer for microbiology for Kings College London, say di new study "mark a significant and alarming increase compared to previous data". "Dis findings suppose serve as a wake-up call for global health leaders. Witout decisive action, AMR fit undermine decades of progress for child health, particularly for di world most vulnerable regions."
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Three million child deaths linked to drug resistance, study shows
More than three million children around the world are thought to have died in 2022 as a result of infections that are resistant to antibiotics, according to a study by two leading experts in child health. Children in Africa and South East Asia were found to be most at risk. Antimicrobial resistance - known as AMR - develops when the microbes that cause infections evolve in such a way that antibiotic drugs no longer work. It has been identified as one of the biggest public health threats facing the world's population. A new study now reveals the toll that AMR is taking on children. Using data from multiple sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the report's authors have calculated there were more than three million child deaths in 2022 linked to drug-resistant infections. Drug-resistant infections killing millions - study Scientists discover new part of the immune system Experts say this new study highlights a more than tenfold increase in AMR-related infections in children in just three years. The number could have been made worse by the impact of the Covid pandemic. Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent a huge range of bacterial infections - everything from skin infections to pneumonia. They are also sometimes given as a precaution to prevent, rather than treat, an infection - for example if someone is having an operation or receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Antibiotics have no impact on viral infections, though - illnesses such as the common cold, flu or Covid. But some bacteria have now evolved resistance to some drugs, due to their overuse and inappropriate use, while the production of new antibiotics - a lengthy and costly process - has slowed right down. The report's lead authors, Doctor Yanhong Jessika Hu of Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia and Professor Herb Harwell of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, point to a significant growth in the use of antibiotics that are meant to only be held back for the most serious infections. Between 2019 and 2021 the use of "watch antibiotics", drugs with a high risk of resistance, increased by 160% in South East Asia and 126% in Africa. Over the same period, "reserve antibiotics" - last-resort treatments for severe, multidrug-resistant infections - rose by 45% in South East Asia and 125% in Africa. The authors warn that if bacteria develop resistance to these antibiotics, there will be few, if any, alternatives for treating multidrug-resistant infections. Prof Harwell is presenting the findings at the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vienna later this month. "AMR is a global problem. It affects everyone. We did this work really to focus on the disproportionate way in which AMR affects children," he said ahead of the event. "We estimate three million deaths of children worldwide associated with antimicrobial resistance." The WHO describes AMR as one of the most serious global health threats we face, but speaking from Vienna, Prof Harwell warns that there are no easy answers. "It's a multi-faceted problem that extends into all aspects of medicine and really, human life," he said. "Antibiotics are ubiquitous around us, they end up in our food and the environment and so coming up with a single solution is not easy." The best way to avoid a resistant infection is to avoid infection altogether, which means higher levels of immunisation, water sanitation and hygiene are needed, he adds. "There's going to be more antibiotics use because there's more people who need them, but we need to make sure that they are used appropriately and the correct medicines are used." Dr Lindsey Edwards, a senior lecturer in microbiology at King's College London, said the new study "marks a significant and alarming increase compared to previous data". "These findings should serve as a wake-up call for global health leaders. Without decisive action, AMR could undermine decades of progress in child health, particularly in the world's most vulnerable regions." War clinics in Ukraine witness sharp rise in drug-resistant infections £8m Longitude Prize won for tackling superbug rise
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Three million child deaths linked to drug resistance
More than three million children around the world are thought to have died in 2022 as a result of infections that are resistant to antibiotics, according to a study by two leading experts in child health. Children in Africa and South East Asia were found to be most at risk. Antimicrobial resistance - known as AMR - develops when the microbes that cause infections evolve in such a way that antibiotic drugs no longer has been identified as one of the biggest public health threats facing the world's population. A new study now reveals the toll that AMR is taking on data from multiple sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the report's authors have calculated there were more than three million child deaths in 2022 linked to drug-resistant infections. Experts say this new study highlights a more than tenfold increase in AMR-related infections in children in just three number could have been made worse by the impact of the Covid pandemic. Increased use of antibiotics Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent a huge range of bacterial infections - everything from skin infections to pneumonia. They are also sometimes given as a precaution to prevent, rather than treat, an infection - for example if someone is having an operation or receiving chemotherapy treatment for have no impact on viral infections, though - illnesses such as the common cold, flu or some bacteria have now evolved resistance to some drugs, due to their overuse and inappropriate use, while the production of new antibiotics - a lengthy and costly process - has slowed right report's lead authors, Doctor Yanhong Jessika Hu of Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia and Professor Herb Harwell of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, point to a significant growth in the use of antibiotics that are meant to only be held back for the most serious infections. Between 2019 and 2021 the use of "watch antibiotics", drugs with a high risk of resistance, increased by 160% in South East Asia and 126% in the same period, "reserve antibiotics" - last-resort treatments for severe, multidrug-resistant infections - rose by 45% in South East Asia and 125% in Africa. Dwindling options The authors warn that if bacteria develop resistance to these antibiotics, there will be few, if any, alternatives for treating multidrug-resistant Harwell is presenting the findings at the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vienna later this month."AMR is a global problem. It affects everyone. We did this work really to focus on the disproportionate way in which AMR affects children," he said ahead of the event."We estimate three million deaths of children worldwide associated with antimicrobial resistance." Is there a solution to AMR? The WHO describes AMR as one of the most serious global health threats we face, but speaking from Vienna, Prof Harwell warns that there are no easy answers."It's a multi-faceted problem that extends into all aspects of medicine and really, human life," he said. "Antibiotics are ubiquitous around us, they end up in our food and the environment and so coming up with a single solution is not easy."The best way to avoid a resistant infection is to avoid infection altogether, which means higher levels of immunisation, water sanitation and hygiene are needed, he adds."There's going to be more antibiotics use because there's more people who need them, but we need to make sure that they are used appropriately and the correct medicines are used."Dr Lindsey Edwards, a senior lecturer in microbiology at King's College London, said the new study "marks a significant and alarming increase compared to previous data"."These findings should serve as a wake-up call for global health leaders. Without decisive action, AMR could undermine decades of progress in child health, particularly in the world's most vulnerable regions."
