HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is facing a fast-escalating threat from antibiotic resistance, with specialists cautioning that widespread misuse of medicines is driving a surge in infections that are becoming increasingly difficult to treat.

Antibiotic resistance is emerging as a major public health threat in Việt Nam, with experts warning that misuse of medicines is accelerating the rise of hard-to-treat infections.

The issue was highlighted at a symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) held by the Việt Nam Respiratory Society ahead of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR could cause up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if countries fail to act. Việt Nam is among the nations most affected due to years of unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic use, particularly for mild respiratory illnesses.

Healthcare specialists at the meeting stressed that resistance among common respiratory pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae has reached worrying levels. These bacteria cause pneumonia, otitis media and sinusitis, with some strains now less responsive to widely used beta-lactams and macrolides.

Prof. Đinh Xuân Anh Tuấn noted that one in five deaths among children under five in 2019 was linked to AMR. “Unnecessary antibiotics destroy beneficial bacteria and give resistant strains room to grow and spread. The growing prevalence of resistance could push us back to a time when common infections were often fatal,” he said.

Associate Professor Dr Trần Minh Điển, President of the Việt Nam Pediatric Association, said respiratory diseases remain the leading cause of hospitalisation among children. He underscored the need to follow the WHO Access–Watch–Reserve framework to guide rational prescribing and called for better diagnostic tools to distinguish bacterial cases from viral infections.

From the otorhinolaryngology field, Associate Professor Dr Phạm Tuấn Cảnh warned that reduced susceptibility of pneumococcal strains to second-generation cephalosporins and macrolides is complicating treatment for adults, especially the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

Associate Professor Dr Nguyễn Hoàng Anh emphasised the importance of proper counselling by pharmacists to ensure patients complete full antibiotic courses, reducing the risk of resistance.

Professor Dr Ngô Quý Châu, President of the Việt Nam Respiratory Society, said AMR control requires coordinated action across respiratory, ENT and paediatric specialties, backed by updated microbiological data, harmonised guidelines and training for healthcare workers.

Experts agreed that combating AMR demands collective responsibility and urgent action to safeguard the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations. — VNS