SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT - CNS
Despite dealing with drug-resistant infections herself since birth and being fully aware of the looming danger of running out of options to treat the infections, it is indeed inspiring to see Gabriella Balasa (also known as Ella) devotedly raising awareness and doing all she can to stop misuse and overuse of medicines and help save lives.
Gabriella was born with a rare genetic disorder called cystic fibrosis. It causes the body to produce thick and sticky mucus that builds up in organs including the lungs and pancreas, clogging the airways and making it difficult to breathe. It is also a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, So people with cystic fibrosis, like Gabriella, live with a lifelong heightened risk of infections. Worldwide, an estimated 162,428 people are living with this disease.
The disease makes Gabriella prone to recurrent lung infections. That is why she requires medicines to treat these infections on an ongoing basis. She knows that one day, antibiotics might not be enough to stop them - and that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) could become life threatening for her.
Misuse and overuse of medicines (that are used to treat infections) make the disease-causing microbes resistant to them over a period of time, and the medicines (or antimicrobials as they are called) stop working. This is referred to as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), due to which infections could become harder, or even impossible to treat. AMR presents a rising global threat to human, animal, plant health, and our environment, as well as food security, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Living with cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis causes cysts and scarring (fibrosis) in the pancreas. This damage, plus the thick mucus, can block ducts that release digestive enzymes, making it hard to get nutrients from the digestive tract.
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