Up to 38,000 Thais could be dying from antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually because of overprescription and the prevalence of the drugs in food and the water supply, research has found.
Drug System Monitoring Mechanism Development Centre manager Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee said her research found Thailand had a worryingly high fatality rate due to antibiotic resistance, but the problem was hidden because the cause of death was usually listed as something else.
Dr Niyada said with people being routinely exposed to antibiotics, both directly and indirectly, there was a greater chance for bacteria to become resistant and deadly.
“At least 100 people die per day in Thailand alone from antibiotic resistance,” Dr Niyada said. “You may not think it is a big problem unless the person affected is someone you know. But it killed as many people as deadly diseases like cancer.”
Dr Niyada, a drug researcher and assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences, presented her initial research for Antibiotic Awareness Week 2015, held from Tuesday to Thursday. Her final results are expected by the end of the year.