Health authorities warn of rising misuse of antibiotics

Colombo, Nov. 20 (Daily Mirror) - Health authorities have raised alarm over the widespread and indiscriminate use of antibiotics, cautioning that such practices are accelerating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and could render common treatments for infections increasingly ineffective.

Addressing a media briefing, Dr. Priyantha Atapattu of the National Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance stressed the urgent need for responsible antibiotic use, noting that medical professionals have observed years of misuse and overuse of these medicines.

“Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites in humans, animals and plants. These medications may be antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal or antiparasitic,” he explained.

Dr. Atapattu urged the public to take antibiotic medications only under proper medical supervision, emphasising that identifying the type of disease and its precise cause is essential before selecting the appropriate drug. He warned that many people continue to self-medicate—taking either excessive or insufficient doses, or using antibiotics for illnesses that do not require them.

Such misuse, he said, fuels the growth of antimicrobial resistance, where pathogens evolve to withstand medicines. As resistance rises, standard antibiotic doses lose their effectiveness, making common infections more difficult—and sometimes impossible—to treat.