Bangladesh: The government of Bangladesh will shortly introduce a law to prohibit the sale of antibiotic medications by drug outlets without a prescription, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque in Dhaka, . According to him, pharmacies that dispense antibiotics to patients without a valid prescription will lose their ability to operate.
Antibiotic abuse, according to the minister, is a silent murderer. Citing statistics, he said that the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotic medications results in the deaths of close to 15 lakh individuals worldwide. According to the minister, Bangladesh is also experiencing the detrimental impacts of the growth in antibiotic use on public health.
Zahid Maleque made the point that it is extremely concerning that antibiotics have been found in both meat and fish. He underlined the need to educate the people about the harmful effects of overusing antibiotics.