Could lockdown be fuelling drug resistance cases?
Antimicrobial-resistant infections kill more than 700,000 people every year, mostly in developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that, by 2050, the infections will be killing more than 10 million people per year and, currently, over $10 billion (Sh1 trillion) is required to mitigate the situation. The infections lead to the deaths of more than 200,000 new-borns who suffer from antibiotic-resistant diseases. It is argued that, in 2050, antimicrobial-resistant infections will account for a five per cent drop in poor nations gross domestic product (GDP) and that more than 200 million people will be pushed to the extremes of abject poverty. Current studies clearly indicate that the next pandemic could arise from antimicrobial-resistant infections, hence the need to take urgent measures to cure the serious public health threat. This will involve vaccinations to prevent the infections; coming up with alternative treatment options, such as use of human microbiota transplants; and repurposing of the existing drugs. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria  The continued Covid-19 lockdowns may be exacerbating the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their associated genes. Lockdowns have impaired delivery of foods from the sources of production to markets. Additionally, poor food storage and handling during processing and transportation may have increased proliferation of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. The use of antibiotics by farmers to preserve their produce increased during the lockdowns due to reduced purchases. Supermarkets and shop outlets also recorded increased pile-up of expired food products owing to declining customer purchasing power. The above factors favoured bacterial contamination of foods and there is a possibility that thousands of Kenyans fed on food that was unfit for consumption. The net effect is amplification of the spread of antimicrobial-resistant infections and an increase in spreading of the resistant genes. This scenario should provoke governments and other healthcare givers to work on an epidemiological model that will postulate the likelihood of an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant diseases. Common antimicrobial-resistant bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, also known as the hospital bug, which poses a serious threat to the wellbeing of medical professionals. Others are Niserria gonorrhoea, the causative agent of sexually transmitted infections, and E.coli, which causes enteric infections. Low vaccination uptake  Continued lockdowns are expected in Africa due to low vaccination uptake in the continent. A recent report by WHO indicates that Africa and other developing countries will only be able to achieve the desired level of protective Covid-19 vaccination by 2023. This portends a gloomy outlook that is compounded by strong Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. As lockdowns take a toll on populations, antimicrobial-resistant infections will soon become a major public health concern with new-borns and the poor affected the most.