Together with the Colombian Association of Infectious Diseases (Asociación Colombiana de Infectología or ACIN) and the National Institute of Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud or INS), the Vice Minister of Public Health and Services, Luis Fernando Correa Serna, presented guidelines for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
During the presentation, Correa Serna affirmed: “We cannot lose the tools that allow us to combat diseases. As recommended by the infectious disease agency, we have to be responsible for the appropriate use of antibiotics.” He also added that medications must be used in accordance with the amounts described in their formulation by health care professionals and taken in the required dosages and for the stipulated time period.
Carlos Álvarez Moreno, the ACIN president, indicated that antibiotic resistance is not limited to hospitals but rather is a community-wide problem. “Infections that used to be easy to manage are now difficult. For example, a urinary infection that could have been treated 20 years ago with a powerful antibiotic now requires injectable medication because there are no effective oral treatments,” he stated.
In turn, Martha Lucía Ospina Martínez, General Director of the INS, stated that “infections are dynamic and none are predominant. We believe that there are still ways to recover the effectiveness of antibiotics against bacteria.”
12 mandates
- Only take antibiotics when prescribed by a physician.
- Self-medication with antibiotics can endanger your health.
- Take antibiotics as prescribed and for the length of time indicated by the physician.
- Increasing the dose of an antibiotic does not contribute to a faster recovery but does increase the risk of side effects.
- If symptoms of infection persist, do not extend the use of the antibiotic and consult a physician instead.
- Antibiotics only work in cases of infection caused by bacteria.
- Antibiotics do not cure infections caused by viruses such as the flu.
- Antibiotics do not prevent the transmission of the flu or other viruses.
- Do not share your antibiotics with family members or friends.
- Do not give your antibiotics to your pets.
- Misuse of antibiotics causes more resistant bacteria.
- Frequent hand washing prevents the transmission of viruses and bacteria.