GEORGE TOWN, Dec 20 — The Health Ministry has noted a rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among patients in Malaysia and attributes this to the unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Deputy Health Minister today highlighted the need to stop prescribing patients antibiotics for viral respiratory infections like coughs and colds, warning that increased resistance to certain medicine has led to higher fatalities.

He said that many cases of AMR were assumed to occur only in hospitals, but studies have shown that it exists in environments outside these facilities.

"If AMR increases, we will not have antibiotics to cure patients with AMR, this is a big issue,” he said during a press conference after opening an Antimicrobial Resistance Seminar in Universiti Sains Malaysia today.

He said in many cases, patients with the common cold and an upper respiratory tract infection do not need antibiotics as these are viral infections.

"We have stressed the appropriate use of antibiotics. If it is not a bacterial infection, we do not need antibiotics,” he said.

Citing World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Lee said drug-resistant diseases already cause at least 700,000 deaths globally a year, including 230,000 deaths from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

He said this figure could increase to 10 million deaths globally per year by 2050 if no action is taken.

"The crisis of AMR is driven by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, along with the lack of new classes of drugs that can overcome resistance,” he said in his opening speech earlier.

In the Malaysian context, Dr Lee said resistant gram-negative bacteria, including extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have emerged and spread throughout the country.

He said last year, the Health Ministry (MoH) collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change and Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources with the support from WHO to conduct a study titled "The Tricycle Project: WHO Integrated Global Survey on Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase producing E.coli”.

The study measures the ESBL E. coli in humans, the food chain and the environment.

"E. coli is a common bacteria found in the human and animal intestines, whereas ESBL E. coli is a resistant form of E. coli.

"When E. coli becomes resistant to antibiotics, it can cause serious infections to humans. It is often found in hospital patients,” he explained.

He said the study showed that ESBL E. coli is also found among healthy individuals in the community, in healthy chicken intestines from slaughterhouses and in wastewater from a residential and animal husbandry area.

"The findings of the study carry serious implications as the widespread occurrence of ESBL E. coli perpetuates and aggravates,” he said.

He added that immediate action is needed to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics to control the situation from becoming more serious.

He said a survey on antibiotic consumption by patients in 2017 shoulder that one per cent of the Malaysian population is on some form of antibiotics at any one time.

"Two thirds of the antibiotics consumed were among the community-based centres and one third were from the hospitals,” he said.

He said the MoH has implemented the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in MOH Healthcare Facilities and hope that private healthcare facilities will also come on board to curb unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics.

He said the public will need to understand the effects of inappropriate use of antibiotics and not demand for antibiotics when it is unnecessary.

He added that more needs to be done in dealing with the growing AMR crisis.

"The situation calls for massive public health campaigns that will educate the public on basics of good health, responsible use of medicine, maintaining safe environments and prevention of infectious diseases,” he said.

He said a memorandum on AMR was submitted to the ministry on December 3.

"We on our part will ensure that this issue will be looked into with a commitment that is expected of us as one of the stakeholders,” he said.