“This makes the importance of decontamination and maintenance of a protocol that ensures a clean and hygienic environment extremely important,” says Sankar. However, basic soap and water are lacking in half of the health care facilities around the world, according to A World Health Organization UNICEF report In the year It was released in 2022, which contributed to the risk of disease in mothers and newborns.
Other simple steps can help prevent infections in healthcare settings, such as wearing sterile gowns in intensive care units, washing and sanitizing surfaces and equipment, and disinfecting newborn skin before administering needles or drops. But besides teaching parents good hygiene practices, implementing them requires training and adequate manpower, Shahidullah said.
Bangladesh is also looking to encourage more women to give birth in hospitals – even though they have their own superbugs, it’s a safer option. Almost. About half of Bangladeshi women still give birth at home, which comes with a high risk of infection. In Nepal, neonatal sepsis has been found to be high among babies born to mothers No prenatal testing was done.Reiterating the importance of support for future parents.
Ultimately, tackling the drug resistance crisis will require broader tools, experts say.
“For broader change, we need to take antimicrobial resistance as a social and political challenge,” said Abdul Ghafoor, an infectious disease consultant at the Apollo Cancer Institute in the southern Indian city of Chennai. He is a vocal campaigner along with other Indian doctors. Fighting the most dangerous threat. “Proper sanitation at home, in health care facilities and in the community is key to combating neonatal sepsis. [antimicrobial resistance] And to prevent re-infection in children.”
Finding new antibiotics should be an immediate priority: “Covid has shown us that India can become the world’s pharmacy and develop modern medicines,” he says.
Ghafoor suggests focusing on developing tests to identify the source of infection as quickly as possible. “Rapid diagnostic tests help doctors zero in on the right antibiotic to prescribe within an hour, which greatly reduces the risk of death. New antibiotics and vaccines can be developed for bacteria that are resistant to existing antibiotics,” he said. In his view, this should be a global effort, governments working together with private companies.
For families like Mukta’s, who lost her son to sepsis, these developments come too late. But tackling the antibiotic crisis and the risk of infection around the birthing area could help others give their babies a safe start — and help doctors protect and save what’s on hand.
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