At Ghana’s largest hospital, antibiotics are becoming less effective due to their overuse and overprescription. Many Ghanaians, lacking access to doctors, buy antibiotics from unauthorized sellers, leading to misuse. This misuse allows bacteria to adapt and become resistant. At Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, 60% of patients have infections resistant to common antibiotics, and 4% are resistant to stronger ones like carbapenems. This resistance is a growing problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where treatment options are limited and often unaffordable. The World Health Organization reports that antibiotic resistance is a significant global issue, with West Africa experiencing higher death rates from resistant infections compared to high-income countries.
QUESTION: How might the growing problem of antibiotic resistance impact future healthcare in countries like Ghana?
Street sellers and private physicians fuel antibiotic overuse
