Pakistan's risky affair with Antibiotic resistance

Since the 1960s, the widespread use of antibiotics has chosen resistant bacteria, raising the incidence of infectious illnesses that are lethal and placing financial pressure on society. Despite the fact that this issue is commonly acknowledged as a global one, its scope is not fully understood in many parts of the world. There has not yet been a systematic examination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Pakistan.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the most often reported clinical diagnosis in Pakistan (16.1%), according to studies published in the previous ten years. E. coli was found in 28 (30.11%) investigations, all of which had significant first-line antibiotic resistance. In 49% of all instances of Staphylococcus aureus that were reported, MRSA was discovered. Disk Diffusion Method (DDM) (82.8%) has been used most frequently to examine phenotypic resistance patterns, with Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoint reference guidelines being used in 79.6% of investigations. Only 28 (30.11%) research has successfully identified the resistance gene using molecular methods.

The most common known resistance genes are blaTEM (78.94% in Shigella spp.) and blaNDM-1 (32.75% in Klebsiella spp.), followed by VanA (45.53% in Enterococcus spp.), mcr-1 (1.61% in Acinetobacter spp.), and blaKPC-2 (31.67% in E. coli). Sindh (40.86%) and Punjab (35.48%) were the two provinces with the most studies, whereas Baluchistan's AMR data wasn't accessible.

Conclusion:

1. Pakistan has a very high frequency of AMR to routinely give antibiotics. 
2. Significant surveillance holes are discovered In other words, no research on antibiotic resistance was recorded for the region of Baluchistan. Additionally, there weren't enough investigations done on some bacteria to determine their resistance patterns.
3. Numerous research includes methodological data gaps that raise questions about the validity of the investigations and make analysis challenging.
4. There are very few molecular investigations available that are necessary for the appropriate and efficient administration of medicinal drugs.

Therefore, it is essential to regularise monitoring procedures and to conduct ongoing regional and national surveillance, molecular investigations, and targeted efforts to reduce the risk brought on by the rise in AMR.

But do you really think that would be enough?