Antibiotics have long been regarded as the miracle cure of medicine. They have saved millions of lives, made operations safer, enabled cancer treatments and helped to defeat infections that were once fatal. But this success story is increasingly hanging in the balance. Antibiotics are failing more and more often because bacteria have learnt to defend themselves against them. This development of resistance is not some distant future scenario – it has long been a reality.
According to estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than one million people a year worldwide are already dying from infections that can no longer be treated with conventional antibiotics. In Europe, the figure is in the tens of thousands, and concern is also growing in Luxembourg. The Ministry of Health warns that every unnecessary use of antibiotics contributes to the development of drug-resistant bacteria – in hospitals as well as in everyday life.
A global problem with local consequences
Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, not viruses. Nevertheless, they are frequently prescribed for colds or flu, even though they are ineffective. Such misuse is considered the main cause of the resistance crisis. It becomes particularly dangerous when antibiotics are stopped too early or administered at too low a dose; the most resistant pathogens survive and multiply.
In Luxembourg, the national campaign “Antibiotiques? Utilisons-les avec précaution” (in English: “Antibiotics? Let’s use them with care”) has been trying to raise awareness for years. Doctors are urged to prescribe antibiotics more selectively and to better educate patients. GP practices in the Grand Duchy were successful in prescribing fewer and fewer antibiotics between 2013 and 2021. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, prescriptions in the country rose again. The same danger remains: drug-resistant bacteria know no boundaries. They spread via travel, food chains and international trade.
What makes superbugs and drug-resistance so dangerous
The so-called “superbugs” are particularly threatening – bacteria that have become resistant to almost all known antibiotics. They can cause severe pneumonia, blood poisoning or wound infections that are almost impossible to treat. When they occur in hospitals, this can have fatal consequences: Routine procedures such as caesarean sections or hip operations are becoming riskier again because the risk of infection is rising.
Antibiotic resistance not only makes infections harder to treat, but also disrupts everyday medical procedures. A simple dental operation, a course of chemotherapy or a premature birth can suddenly become life-threatening if antibiotics no longer work.
Researchers around the world are searching for solutions. However, the development of new antibiotics is a lengthy, expensive and often economically unattractive process. Many large pharmaceutical companies have withdrawn from this field. Instead, alternative approaches are being explored – such as bacteriophages, in other words, viruses that specifically target bacteria, or combination therapies that repurpose known active substances.
At the same time, studies show that non-antibiotic drugs, such as certain painkillers, can also promote the growth of resistant bacteria. This underlines just how complex the problem is: resistance does not arise solely from antibiotics themselves, but also from many contributing factors.
The European Union is calling for a rethink, in human medicine as well as in animal husbandry. This is because antibiotics are still used extensively in agriculture to prevent disease or promote animal growth. Residues of such substances can enter the ecosystem via meat, water or soil, where they can promote resistance mechanisms.
Luxembourg is actively participating in European programmes designed to significantly restrict the use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. The aim is a “One Health” strategy that takes equal account of humans, animals and the environment. This is because resistance genes can be transferred between bacterial species – and what arises in livestock housing can ultimately affect humans too.
The WHO warns that resistance could lead to more deaths than cancer by 2050 if decisive action is not taken. Prevention is therefore crucial: vaccinations reduce the need for antibiotics, good hygiene prevents infections, and the responsible use of medicines protects their effectiveness.
