The Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) has called on drug stores and pharmacies across the country to stop selling antibiotics without a valid prescription, warning that such practices are fueling the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and putting countless lives at risk.
ZAMRA Public Relations Officer, Lister Mutukwa, says AMR has become a serious public health concern leading to preventable deaths in Zambia, as misuse and overuse of antibiotics continue to accelerate the problem.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Ms. Mutukwa said an increasing number of patients are failing to respond to treatment that once cured common infections due AMR, a condition that renders common medicines ineffective.
“People continue to take antibiotics unnecessarily or without prescription and bacteria are adapting, resulting in patients not to respond to treatment in the end, some even lose their lives,” said Ms. Mutukwa.
By Margaret Mwanza
