Highlighting the Impact of Antimicrobial Drug Resistance (AMR) in Infectious Diseases and Advocating for Improved Surveillance and Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Pakistan

Abstract

The aim of this Letter was to present the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in infectious diseases in Pakistan. The rise in antimicrobial resistance infection poses a serious effect on public health accelerating morbidity, mortality, and medical expenses rates. 1 Considering these problems, it is imperative to highlight the importance of better surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship to effectively combat this expanding issue.Antibiotic resistance bacteria are becoming more prevalent in Pakistan consistently, and it has made the common diseases difficult to treat. Once-potent antibiotics are now losing their potential leading to prolonged infections, treatment failure, and need of strong and expensive antimicrobial drugs results in growth of multidrug-resistant diseases. The rise in antibiotic resistance in Pakistan is caused by several factors including the abuse of antibiotics, unawares of preventive and control methods, lack of knowledge of antibiotic misuse, unnecessary prescription by health care professionals due to their unacceptable knowledge about the use of antibiotics, and antimicrobial stewardship program. 2 In addition, the health care staff faces the lack of resources, free time, and unacceptable stewardship programs training. 3 It is essential to deal with these rising issues to overcome antibiotic resistance.Although Pakistan is struggling in this domain, a comprehensive strategy is required to combat high antibiotic resistance in infectious diseases in Pakistan and emphasizing the focused efforts on education and preparation of current and future prescribers for antimicrobial stewardship initiative. 4 Priority should be given to strengthening surveillance mechanisms for tracking antibiotic resistance trends. Insights into the incidence and distribution of resistant strains will be crucially revealed by robust data collection, analysis, and reporting procedures, allowing for evidence-based decision-making and targeted actions. Implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs is essential to maximize the use of antibiotics