Dear Editor,
I read Claire Seaward's letter (23rd Jan 2022, link below) on the need for clean water, sanitation and hygiene and completely agree that these are essential: Better general health reduces illness and therefore also our reliance on antibiotics. This is all true!
But the letter misses the central point which is that resistance to antibiotics is increasing, regardless of water-quality: Better sanitation, while good, will not preserve antibiotics. The best way to protect this critical drug is to reduce unnecessary usage: For example, in prescribing and especially(!) in intensive meat-production.
Let's not forget that, if we don't act, we will soon be back to the world of the 1930s when our grandparents knew that, if a wound went seriously septic, amputation might be the only option.
The other central implication is that, without antibiotics, invasive operations such as hip-replacement, will become either highly dangerous or completely impossible.
So, all praise to Claire Seaward and to WaterAid, but we really should be careful not to mix up the issues.
Regards
