Antibiotic consumption in developing countries defies global commitments: an overview on Brazilian growth in consumption

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-06, Vol.27 (17), p.21013-21020
• Main Authors: Neves e Castro, Paulo Bernardo, da Silva Rodrigues, Daniel Aparecido, Roeser, Hubert Mathias Peter, da Fonseca Santiago, Aníbal, de Cássia Franco Afonso, Robson José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amoxicillin; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Azithromycin; Cephalexin; Consumption; Consumption patterns; Developed countries; Developing countries; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental impact; Environmental science; Growth rate; LDCs; Public health; Research Article; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; β-Lactam antibiotics
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08574-x

Faster spread of epidemics has turned local concerns into global crises; antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being considered a major threat to public health in the twenty-first century. Antibiotic misuse plays a great role in accelerated AMR; thus, understanding and discussing consumption patterns has been a trend topic over the past years. Developing countries, such as Brazil, have high growth rates in antibiotic consumption, potentially impacting global environmental safety. This study presents the compiled information from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) on antibiotic dispensation across the country and maps the consumption trends between the years of 2013 and 2016. The most consumed substances were beta-lactams (amoxicillin and cephalexin) and macrolides (azithromycin). National relative growth consumption in the mentioned period was 18%. At the local level, growth of consumption ranged from 4 to 85%, with rampage growth concentrated in the North and Northeast regions. Brazilian laws, such as restriction of over-the-counter sales and mandatory report on dispensation, seem to have little effect on the national antibiotic consumption growth. This phenomenon growth is still elevated if compared with developed countries, demonstrating the need for further surveillance as well as coordinated efforts aiming at antibiotic use and AMR prevention.