A closer look at everyday antibiotic use and caregiving in rural communities in Vietnam.
What is antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites no longer respond to medicines designed to kill them [1]. As a result, antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs become less effective, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of severe illness and spread. Contrary to popular belief that people become “resistant” to antibiotics, it is the microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) that adapt and survive exposure to these drugs. The more frequently antimicrobials are used, especially when they are used unnecessarily or incorrectly, the greater the opportunity for resistant strains to emerge and spread [1].
The scale of the global problem
Antimicrobial resistance is already a major global health threat. In 2019, nearly 5 million deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR, including 1.27 million deaths directly caused by drug-resistant infections [2]. Many of these deaths were linked to common illnesses, such as lower respiratory infections, and familiar bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These figures show that AMR is closely connected to everyday healthcare, not just rare diseases or hospital settings.
Because of its scale and complexity, AMR has been identified as a global problem that demands a global response. However, while scientific research is essential, efforts to control resistance must also consider the social and healthcare contexts in which antibiotics are used [3].
Antibiotic use in everyday healthcare
In many parts of the world, antibiotics are not used only in hospitals or prescribed strictly by doctors. Instead, they are often accessed through informal or semi-formal healthcare settings, including pharmacies and drug sellers, and are commonly used to manage everyday symptoms such as coughs, colds, or fevers [4,5]. Decisions about antibiotic use are rarely based on medical knowledge alone. They are shaped by practical concerns, such as cost, convenience, time, access to healthcare, social expectations and caregiving responsibilities within families [4,5,6]. In these situations, uncertainty, worry, and the fear of delaying treatment often influence choices, especially when caregivers feel responsible for protecting their family’s health.
Recognising the urgent need to better understand how antimicrobial resistance develops beyond laboratories and hospitals, Collab Lab has chosen to animate a relevant study – “Dilemmas of care: Healthcare seeking behaviours and antibiotic use among women in rural communities in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam.” The research looks at how women, who are often the primary caregivers in their families, navigate healthcare decisions and antibiotic use in rural settings [6].
Through this project, we hope to spark curiosity and conversation about antimicrobial resistance and encourage young audiences to think more deeply about how science, society, and everyday choices are connected.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Collab Lab!
References
1. World Health Organization. Antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization. Published November 21, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
2. Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators. Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in 2019: a Systematic Analysis. The Lancet. 2022;399(10325):629-655. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0
3. Wellcome Funding. What is antimicrobial resistance – and how do we prevent it? | News and reports | Wellcome. Wellcome. Published May 21, 2024. https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/what-antimicrobial-resistance-and-how-do-we-prevent-it
4. Denyer Willis L, Chandler C. Quick fix for care, productivity, hygiene and inequality: reframing the entrenched problem of antibiotic overuse. BMJ Global Health. 2019;4(4):e001590. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001590
5. Rodrigues CF. Self-medication with antibiotics in Maputo, Mozambique: practices, rationales and relationships. Palgrave Communications. 2020;6(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0385-8
6. Nguyen YHT, van Doorn R, Van Nuil JI, Lewycka S. Dilemmas of care: Healthcare seeking behaviours and antibiotic use among women in rural communities in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam. Social Science & Medicine. 2024;363:117483. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117483
