Antimicrobial resistance becomes a more serious challenge for Africa, than HIV and malaria, a Norwegian scientist, who is involved in projects across several countries in Africa and Asia, Director of Partnerships at One Health Trust research center Erta Kalanxhi told Sputnik Africa.
The level of morbidity and mortality from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in African countries is increasing fast, Kalanxhi said. The researcher noted that doctors in Africa draw more attention to diseases like HIV and tuberculosis. She added that there is no diagnostic capacity to determine the right type of antibiotic for patients.
"So, regardless of HIV and tuberculosis, there are so many infections that are prevalent in the region. And this often leads to overuse and misuse of antibiotics because the more you use antibiotics, the greater is the chance for the bacteria to become more resistant and develop mechanisms to evade these drugs," the scientist said.
In addition, Kalanxhi pointed out that the problem of access to antibiotics is also critical for Africa.
However, the scientist noted that many African countries implement antimicrobial resistance strategies to address the problem.