Majority of UAE residents think antibiotic resistance is health concern: Survey

Majority of UAE residents think antibiotic resistance is health concern: Survey

Three in four residents across the United Arab Emirates believe that antibiotic resistance is a major health concern, according to a new public survey conducted by YouGov.

The survey, commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the global, science-led healthcare company, quizzed more than 1,000 respondents from the UAE.

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It showed that despite the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MOHAP) efforts towards antibiotic awareness campaigns over the last three years, there is still a need for further education, with nine out of 10 people believing it important for doctors, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical companies to educate people about AMR.

More than 70 percent of those asked felt it was a “major health concern.”

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.

Antibiotic resistance can affect anyone, of any age, in any country. While it occurs naturally, misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process.

It means a growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and salmonellosis – are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.

The findings from the survey