Why our go-to antibiotics can no longer protect us

Woman holding a glass of water and some pills. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

Picture this: you fall ill, visit the hospital, and undergo tests. The doctor informs you that you have a bacterial infection. You are prescribed antibiotics and sent home with a warning: “You should feel better after two days, but please make sure you complete your seven-day dose.”

A week later, you feel worse than when you first sought treatment. The antibiotics have failed to work. You return to the same hospital, where doctors try a different antibiotic, this time intravenously, and admit you because your condition is deteriorating. After three months of moving in and out of hospital, you die, not only from the blood infection but also from another drug-resistant infection acquired while hospitalised. Doctors say no antibiotic seems to work.

This scenario is becoming increasingly common in Kenya, where antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites develop the ability to withstand medicines designed to kill them, making infections more difficult to treat. In Kenya, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human health, agriculture, and animal production have accelerated this phenomenon.

“We are seeing a significant emergence of resistance to many antimicrobials, especially antibiotics. This resistance occurs when bacteria change their characteristics to survive, and the antibiotic can no longer treat them as intended,” says Dr Loice Ombajo, co-director of the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis at the University of Nairobi.

When bacteria stop responding to medication, patients are more likely to develop severe disease, stay in hospital longer, and face higher risks of death from infections that no longer respond to treatment.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) was marked from November 18 to 24.

Dr Ombajo emphasises that raising awareness and promoting best practices among the public, healthcare workers, and policymakers is essential to tackling this growing threat. This year’s theme, “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” centred on infection prevention, improving diagnostics, and promoting responsible use of antimicrobials.

According to Dr Ombajo, Kenya’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Agriculture have jointly conducted national surveillance to assess the country’s AMR situation. “We found that the most commonly used antibiotic, ceftriaxone, is no longer able to treat the most common bacteria.”

The findings are alarming: 70 per cent of bacteria causing common infections are resistant to ceftriaxone. The most problematic drug-resistant bacteria, include Escherichia coli (70 per cent resistant), Klebsiella pneumoniae (80 per cent resistant), and Staphylococcus aureus (50 per cent resistant). These organisms are responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs), respiratory infections, pneumonia, sepsis, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal illnesses.

Kenya is now grappling with a silent but potent enemy. The country’s diverse bacterial landscape is increasingly outsmarting available treatments. Dr Ombajo warns that “AMR is a ticking time bomb that threatens to undo the progress made in healthcare. We need to act now to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics and protect public health.”

The threat is heightened by Kenya’s socio-economic context. With more than 43 per cent of the population living in poverty and facing major health burdens such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, AMR places an additional strain on an already stretched healthcare system. Limited resources, poor sanitation, and inadequate infection control create an environment where resistant infections can spread easily.

Many Kenyans self-prescribe antibiotics, often buying them over the counter without a prescription. Others fail to complete the prescribed dose. This dangerous behaviour fuels resistance.  “Antibiotics should only be used under medical supervision, and pharmacists must follow regulations requiring a prescription,” Dr Ombajo stresses.

An estimated 30 per cent of antibiotics circulating in Kenya are substandard or counterfeit, worsening treatment failure and driving resistance. If action is not taken, the consequences will be severe. Routine infections could become untreatable, leading to more deaths. The economic cost is equally worrying, with estimates suggesting that AMR could drain more than two per cent of Kenya’s GDP annually. Kenya has developed a National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR in alignment with the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan. The NAP aims to improve awareness, strengthen surveillance, enhance infection prevention and control, reduce antibiotic use in agriculture, and boost investment in research and development.