World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), observed from November 18 to 24, emphasizes the importance of managing antibiotic use and combating microbial resistance.

Coinciding with this event, Wahdat Alkozai, head of Therapeutics at Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, highlighted the lack of diagnostic tools as one of the primary factors behind the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

Speaking at a program held to mark the occasion, he said: "When adequate diagnostic tools are unavailable, diseases are not accurately diagnosed, forcing doctors to prescribe antibiotics. This can lead to antimicrobial resistance, reducing the effectiveness of these medications in the future and increasing mortality rates."

"The low quality of medicines increases microbial resistance and results in greater antibiotic usage,” stated Karima Mayar, Director of the Department for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the Ministry of Public Health.

Ahmad Naser Hanafi, head of Central Public Health Labs, stressed the lack of adequate measures to manage antibiotic consumption and called for drafting protocols to be implemented in collaboration with global organizations and the Ministry of Public Health.

"To manage this issue, reasonable restrictions on antibiotic use must be imposed, and three recommendations should be included in the protocol: guidelines for antibiotic use, consumption limits, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate training,” said Ahmad Naser Hanafi.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, around 1.2 million people worldwide die annually due to microbial resistance and the ineffectiveness of antibiotics.