In many Nigerian households today, antibiotics are being consumed without proper medical guidance. From treating boils and typhoid fever to urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases, these powerful medications have become an everyday remedy. Some women have even reportedly used antibiotics as a method of birth control.
This growing culture of self-medication and over-the-counter drug purchases, often without prescriptions, is contributing to what health experts now describe as a looming public health crisis.
In markets and local chemists across the country, antibiotics are sold freely by hawkers and unlicensed vendors, with little or no guidance on dosage or safety. Consumers are left to determine how and when to take them.
Pharmacists and public health experts have raised serious concerns about the dangers of this unregulated behavior, especially when it comes to antibiotics.
These medications are specifically designed to fight bacterial infections by either killing bacteria or stopping them from multiplying. While they are essential in treating illnesses like pneumonia, strep throat, and skin infections, antibiotics are completely ineffective against viral infections such as the common cold or flu.
In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its Essential Medicines List, categorizing antibiotics into three groups: Access, Watch, and Reserve— to promote more responsible use.
Access antibiotics like Amoxicillin are intended for broad use in common infections, Watch antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin should be used more sparingly, and Reserve antibiotics, including Colistin, are considered last-resort options for severe infections that do not respond to other treatments.
Despite these international guidelines, the misuse and abuse of antibiotics in Nigeria remain widespread. One of the most serious consequences is antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a phenomenon in which bacteria evolve to withstand the effects of antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.
Enugu-based pharmacist Mr. Chikason Ibeh spoke to PlanetPulse.NG about the growing dangers of self-medication.
“People walk into chemist shops and buy antibiotics without prescriptions. This culture of drug misuse is dangerous. It can lead to serious health complications such as kidney stones, liver damage, diabetes, and even organ failure,” he warned.
Mr. Ibeh further noted that other common side effects of antibiotic abuse include skin rashes, yellowing of the eyes and teeth, and weakened immunity. He stressed that many Nigerians wrongly believe antibiotics can cure any illness – a misconception he described as highly dangerous.
According to him, three key factors should always guide the use of antibiotics: a proper medical diagnosis, assurance that the antibiotics are not counterfeit, and confirmation that the patient is not resistant to the prescribed drugs.
“Resistance happens when a patient takes a low dose of antibiotics that doesn’t completely kill the bacteria. The surviving bacteria adapt and become even stronger,” he explained.
“In such cases, we need stronger antibiotics, but first we must conduct laboratory tests to identify the exact organism and determine which drug can effectively fight it.”
He added that before administering another antibiotic, doctors typically need to wait 24 to 48 hours for the previous medication to clear from the patient’s system, depending on lab culture results. In severe infections, that delay could prove fatal.
Mr. Ibeh also drew attention to the misuse of antibiotics in livestock. He explained that veterinary doctors often administer these drugs to farm animals, and when humans consume such meat, the antibiotics may be transferred—further fueling resistance.
“When people eat meat from animals that were treated with antibiotics, their bodies may no longer respond to those same antibiotics when they fall ill,” he said.
The misuse of antibiotics is not just a personal health risk – it’s both a national and global emergency.
Health experts are urging Nigerians to stop recommending antibiotics to others or using them without a doctor’s prescription. Responsible use is critical if we are to avoid a future where simple infections become deadly once again.
Editorial1 year ago