Antibiotics once turned deadly infections into routine treatment. Now that era is under threat — not because bacteria are “winning,” but because humans are accelerating resistance through misuse, poor sanitation, and weak infection control.

The World Health Organization defines antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as the situation where bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, making infections difficult or impossible to treat. The WHO also states that misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are major drivers of drug-resistant pathogens — a truth that lands uncomfortably close to everyday behaviour.

The Kenyan reality: why this matters at household level

In many communities, antibiotics are treated like painkillers: taken for colds, flu, sore throats, and other viral illnesses where they do not work. The result is predictable: resistant bacteria survive, spread, and return stronger.

What people do that fuels resistance

• Stopping antibiotics early once symptoms improve.
• Sharing leftover antibiotics with family members.
• Buying antibiotics without proper diagnosis.
• Using antibiotics for viral infections (common colds).

Why “stronger antibiotics” is not a simple solution

Many people assume science will always invent a new drug. But drug development is slow, expensive, and resistance can spread faster than innovation. That is why AMR is treated globally as a public-health threat — not merely a pharmacy issue.

What to do instead (the prevention playbook)

• Use antibiotics only when prescribed by a qualified clinician.
• Complete the full course exactly as directed.
• Do not pressure clinicians for antibiotics “just in case.”
• Prioritise infection prevention: hand hygiene, clean water, sanitation, vaccines.

When antibiotics are urgently needed

Severe bacterial infections can be life-threatening. Red flags include persistent high fever with severe weakness, fast breathing, confusion, chest pain with breathing difficulty, or worsening symptoms after initial improvement. The correct step is assessment — not self-medicating.

Bottom line: AMR is not a distant global headline. It is shaped by local choices — and every unnecessary antibiotic dose is a vote for a future where routine infections become dangerous again.