Poverty and corruption affecting antimicrobial resistance: a silent pandemic

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become able to adapt and grow even with medications that once killed them. AMR is a growing global problem. The causes for AMR in countries with poverty and corruption are complex and may be rooted in the practices of health care professionals and behaviour of patients towards the use of antimicrobials as well as supply chains of antimicrobials in the public. The factors like inappropriate prescription practices, insufficient patient education, limited diagnostic facilities, unauthorized sale of antimicrobials, absence of appropriate functioning drug regulatory mechanisms, and non-human use of antimicrobials such as animal production. This can lead to serious infections and cause difficulty in treatment of the infections. Poverty and corruption are two important parameters which strongly accelerate AMR by weakening drug regulation and forcing reliance on cheap or fake medicine. Poor infection control, poor water sanitation and poor hygiene all increase the spread of resistant bacteria from person to person. The appropriate use of antibiotic is related to economic development of countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poverty is very crucial for development of AMR. This review discusses the importance of governmental, social, and economic factors related to antibiotic resistance including poverty and corruption.