Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has urged the public to exercise caution in the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medications to combat antimicrobial resistance, which is becoming a major threat to public health across the globe.
Dr Hussam al-Soub, senior consultant at HMC’s Infectious Diseases Unit said: “HMC launched the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme this year in an effort to combat antimicrobial resistance at the hospital level.This programme involves many interventions including enforcement of the antibiotic restriction policy in Qatar, education of physicians on the proper use of antibiotics, and infection control.”
Dr al-Soub explained, “Micro-organisms exposed to antimicrobial drugs adapt to the molecules of these drugs and develop resistant traits so that standard treatments become increasingly ineffective. This results in an increased risk of serious illness and death among patients with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria or pathogens.”  
“At HMC, we have observed an increase in antibiotic resistance over the past few years. The main driving force for this increase was abuse or overuse of antibiotics, especially for upper respiratory tract infections which are mostly caused by viruses that do not require antibiotic treatment,” continued Dr al- Soub.
“In Qatar, antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs are allowed to be sold over-the-counter only with a doctor’s prescription. This helps to prevent people from trying to self-medicate with antibiotics. Health authorities also strive to ensure that drugs and treatments used in the country are of high quality and up-to-date,” added Dr al-Soub.
He urged doctors to ensure they prescribe the right antimicrobial drugs to treat specific infections and to avoid prescribing these drugs unnecessarily, such as in cases where the infections are known to be self-limiting.
Dr al-Soub added: “A healthy lifestyle including a well-balanced diet and physical exercise boosts your immune system’s ability to fight off infections. Observing proper personal and food hygiene will also help prevent the spread of infectious diseases that can be transmitted through physical contact, through the air and through contaminated food. Good hand-washing habits, proper handling of food, avoiding close contact with people who have an infectious illness and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and soiled items are some of the ways that we can protect ourselves and others from getting infections.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections across the world. The WHO has noted an emerging resistance to drugs used in the treatment of certain urinary tract infections, tuberculosis, malaria and human immunodeficiency virus, among others.