British News Agency

The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned, in a statement marking World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week, that unnecessary or incorrect use of antibiotics leads to bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer responding to medicines, and that this has become a global health threat.

WHO recommends using antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor, asking whether the prescription is really a first-line treatment, and preventing infections through handwashing and vaccination. The organization stresses the importance of using antibiotics “wisely and carefully”.

At the same time, WHO underlined that antibiotics should not be used for viral illnesses such as the common cold and flu, and that medicines should not be shared with others or kept “for later use”.