The World Health Organization has issued a warning that the world is approaching a 'post-antibiotic era.' This signifies a future where antibiotics lose their effectiveness, leading to devastating consequences as these essential public health goods become obsolete. The WHO emphasizes the need for significant changes in how antibiotics are produced, prescribed, and used to avert this crisis.

Warning of a Post-Antibiotic Era

Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics when these medicines are used improperly. Key contributing factors include prescribing them for non-bacterial infections, using an incorrect dosage, or patients failing to complete the prescribed treatment course. This process leads to the emergence of 'superbugs,' which are strains of bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics.

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Drugs that kill or inhibit bacterial growth.

Antibiotics

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To cite a unit, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/ Unit [unit number] (url).

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