Antimicrobial resistance in Australia
Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs like bacteria, viruses, and fungi learn to fight against the medicines that are supposed to kill them. This can make it hard for us to treat infections caused by those germs. In Australia, there are some germs that are becoming resistant to the medicines we use to kill them. This means that when we get sick with these germs, the medicines we have might not work as well as they used to.
To understand why this is happening, we have to know a little about how germs work. When we take medicines to fight off infections, they work by killing the germs or by stopping them from growing. But sometimes, a few of the germs survive even after we take the medicine. These survivors might have special traits that allow them to resist the medicine, and they can pass those traits on to their offspring. Over time, there can be more and more resistant germs in the population, making it harder to treat infections.
One way to slow down the spread of antimicrobial resistance is to use antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines carefully. This means only using them when we really need them, and taking them exactly as our doctor tells us to. In Australia, there are guidelines for doctors and hospitals to follow for using these medicines safely and effectively. There are also public health campaigns to educate people about good hand hygiene and ways to avoid infections in the first place.
Overall, antimicrobial resistance is a big problem that affects everyone, and we all have a role to play in slowing it down. By being responsible with medicines and taking steps to prevent infections, we can help keep ourselves and others healthy.
To understand why this is happening, we have to know a little about how germs work. When we take medicines to fight off infections, they work by killing the germs or by stopping them from growing. But sometimes, a few of the germs survive even after we take the medicine. These survivors might have special traits that allow them to resist the medicine, and they can pass those traits on to their offspring. Over time, there can be more and more resistant germs in the population, making it harder to treat infections.
One way to slow down the spread of antimicrobial resistance is to use antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines carefully. This means only using them when we really need them, and taking them exactly as our doctor tells us to. In Australia, there are guidelines for doctors and hospitals to follow for using these medicines safely and effectively. There are also public health campaigns to educate people about good hand hygiene and ways to avoid infections in the first place.
Overall, antimicrobial resistance is a big problem that affects everyone, and we all have a role to play in slowing it down. By being responsible with medicines and taking steps to prevent infections, we can help keep ourselves and others healthy.