By Dr. Juri B Kalita
After six days examining antimicrobial resistance from various angles, you might reasonably feel overwhelmed. The problem seems vast, systemic, requiring action from governments, healthcare systems, agricultural sectors, and pharmaceutical companies. All true—but incomplete.
Because AMR is also one of those rare global challenges where individual actions genuinely matter. Not symbolically or marginally, but substantively. Every appropriate use of antimicrobials helps preserve their effectiveness. Every unnecessary use accelerates resistance. The connection is direct and immediate.
So what, practically, can you do?
When seeking healthcare: Don’t request or expect antibiotics for viral infections like colds or flu. Ask questions: Is this infection bacterial or viral? Are antibiotics necessary, or might the illness resolve naturally? What are the risks of waiting? Good doctors appreciate informed patients who want to understand their treatment.
When prescribed antimicrobials: Take the full course as directed, even when symptoms improve. The specified duration exists for reason—to ensure bacteria are fully eliminated rather than merely suppressed. Never save leftover antibiotics or share them with others. Each prescription is calibrated for a specific person and condition.
For prevention: Hand hygiene remains surprisingly powerful. Regular, thorough handwashing with soap and water prevents many infections, reducing the need for antimicrobials. Keep vaccinations current—preventing infections means never needing antibiotics for them. Handle food safely: separate raw and cooked items, cook meat thoroughly, wash produce.
As a consumer: When purchasing meat and dairy, choose products from sources that avoid routine antibiotic use. In Meghalaya’s markets, ask vendors about their farming practices. Support local farmers who employ traditional, less intensive methods. Even modest reductions in meat consumption help decrease demand for industrial farming practices that rely on antimicrobials.
In your community: Share what you’ve learned about AMR. When someone mentions taking antibiotics for a cold or stopping treatment early, gently explain why that’s problematic. Support healthcare facilities and pharmacies that enforce proper prescription practices. Advocate for better hygiene facilities in schools and public spaces.
Politically: Make AMR a voting issue. Support candidates and parties that prioritise healthcare infrastructure, regulate agricultural antibiotic use, fund medical research, and improve access to proper diagnosis and treatment. Write to representatives. Attend public forums. Democracy works when citizens engage.
In healthcare settings (for professionals): Adhere strictly to prescription guidelines and infection control protocols. Explain to patients why antibiotics aren’t appropriate for viral infections. Take time to discuss proper medication use. Your expertise and authority make your words particularly influential.
None of these actions require exceptional effort or resources. They’re sensible practices that happen to have far-reaching consequences. The collective impact of millions of people making slightly better choices about antimicrobials could extend the useful life of these medicines by decades.
Think of it as a common man’s problem. Antibiotics represent a shared resource. When any individual uses them unnecessarily or incorrectly, they diminish that resource for everyone. Conversely, when we each use them responsibly, we preserve them for ourselves, our families, our communities, and future generations.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week aims not just to inform but to inspire action. Awareness without behaviour change accomplishes little. The bacteria don’t care whether we understand resistance mechanisms; they only respond to whether we use antimicrobials wisely.
The encouraging news is that it’s not too late. Antibiotics still mostly work. We haven’t yet reached the post-antibiotic era. But whether we avoid that future depends on choices being made now—in clinics and homes and farms across Meghalaya, India, and the world.
Your actions matter. Choose wisely.
(The writer is a Consultant Microbiologist & Infection Control Officer, Bethany Hospital, Shillong)
