Antibiotics: Effective Use for Improved Maternal and Child Health

World Antibiotics Awareness Week #WAAW2019 begins today. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa joins the global health family in calling for actions to curb antibiotic Resistance resulting from the misuse & overuse of antibiotics. The future of antibiotics depends on all of us. Antibiotic Resistance, which is a subset of Antimicrobial Resistance, is occurring everywhere in the world, compromising our ability to manage and treat infectious diseases, as a result of poor infection prevention and control and drug misuse.

During pregnancy, mothers are advised to take antibiotics as prescribed by a physician. Misuse or overuse of antibiotics can result in Antibiotic Resistance in babies, and possible long term effects such as asthma and obesity. Antibiotics are effective & potentially life-saving for bacterial infections in children, but unnecessary antibiotics expose children to potential side effects, including diarrhea, vomiting, rashes and allergic reactions. Antibiotics don't work against viral infections such as cold, flu, chicken pox, rubella, amongst others. Effective diagnosis of illness is essential to ensuring mother & child is protected from Antibiotic Resistance, especially in healthcare facilities.

At The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we believe that preventing infections is vital to slow the pace of antibiotic resistance, one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Through our #WASH program, we've teamed up soap and water to fight Antibiotic Resistance.

Quality tips to prevent Antibiotic Resistance include:

Antibiotics treat only bacterial infections, not viruses.
Take antibiotics only if it’s necessary.
Take the right dose of antibiotics.

Following the #AMRChallenge, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa pledges to combat Antibiotic Resistance and strengthen our #WASH interventions in healthcare facilities and schools, promoting hygiene practices amongst health workers, young people and pregnant women.