A consultant endocrinologist, Dr Grace Senbanjo, has warned Nigerians against self-medication and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, describing the practice as a major driver of the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country.
Senbanjo, who is also a consultant physician at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
She expressed concern over what she described as the alarming rate of antibiotic abuse, particularly the widespread use of unprescribed drugs, noting that the trend poses a serious risk to Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“The use of antibiotics without prescriptions from qualified medical professionals is one of the major causes of antimicrobial resistance across the country. This leads to severe infections, complications, longer hospital stays and increased mortality,” she said.
Senbanjo explained that AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents, rendering antibiotics and other treatments ineffective and making infections harder or sometimes impossible to treat.
“There is an increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance, where antibiotics no longer work for the infections they were specifically designed to treat. This is why a doctor may administer an antibiotic that should ordinarily cure a patient, yet it fails,” she said.
She noted that antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are designed to target specific bacteria and should not be used interchangeably to treat unrelated infections. However, she lamented that they are now commonly used to treat a wide range of ailments, leading to resistance.
The endocrinologist stressed the need for proper medical examination and diagnosis before antibiotics are prescribed.
“Before prescribing antibiotics, appropriate laboratory tests should be carried out to identify the causative organism and determine the exact drug that will be effective,” she said.
Senbanjo also criticised the misuse of antibiotics to treat viral infections such as colds, flu, coughs and sore throats without medical advice or laboratory confirmation, and warned against incomplete treatment.
“Many people stop taking antibiotics after three days because they feel better. This is drug abuse and very wrong. It can make the antibiotic ineffective, so that when it is needed again, it may not work.
“The usual duration for antibiotic prescriptions is about seven days, regardless of how the patient feels,” she added.
She urged the Federal Government and relevant regulatory agencies to strengthen the enforcement of policies guiding the sale and use of drugs, and called for sustained public awareness campaigns through television, radio and social media to educate Nigerians on the proper use of antibiotics and other medications.
