Antibiotics overused during Covid-19, says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says new evidence shows that the extensive overuse of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the ‘silent’ spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat drugs designed to kill them. Its spread is accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.

In a report on Friday, the WHO said during the pandemic, antibiotic use ranged from 33 percent for patients in the western pacific region, to 83 percent in the eastern Mediterranean and the African Regions.

The organisation said between 2020 and 2022, prescriptions decreased over time in Europe and the Americas, while increasing in Africa.