The discovery of antibiotics and their development within the past century revolutionized the field of medicine. It still has a profound impact on the world's health.
The tale of antibiotics began in 1928 when Sir Alexander Fleming stumbled upon the antibacterial properties of penicillin which as a result created the very first antibiotic, effective against multiple bacterial infections. The introduction of antibiotics essentially meant that deadly diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis that caused chaos and disorder in the world could be vanquished, saving countless lives.
The advent of antibiotics saw a steep drop in mortality rates and gave doctors the ability to fight then-untreatable bacterial diseases. Surgery was much safer as antibiotics were administered both before and after operations to prevent infections.
The availability of antibiotics transformed the social structure worldwide as it increased human life expectancy and allowed for the layman to receive treatment for common bacterial infections allowing them to get back to work promptly and spend less time sick or even handicapped, hence inducing a period of great economic development and prosperity. Antibiotics also reduced the risk of infection during childbirth and lead to a decline in maternal and infant mortality in hospital wards.
However, the overuse of antibiotics on a large scale resulted in the emergence of "antibiotic resistance" which poses a great threat to global health. This occurs when bacteria develop a mechanism to resist the effects of antibiotics via natural selection which made most antibiotics ineffective. This led to a rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria which most medical and pharmaceutical experts termed "superbugs" which are difficult to treat and could cause severe infections. Their misuse in agriculture and inadequate infection practice contributed to the acceleration of antibiotic resistance.
The history of antibiotics serves as a reminder of the impact that discoveries, especially those which are pharmaceutical can have on all of society and also of the importance of responsible and aware use. The development of antibiotics and strategies to combat antibiotic resistance is crucial to maximising their potential in the future.
Bibliography-
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369527419300190
https://www.reactgroup.org/toolbox/understand/antibiotics/development-of-antibiot
ics-as-medicines/
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/end-antibiotics
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109405/
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html
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