Welsh stars back global drive to warn against dangers of overusing antibiotics

Welsh stars are getting behind a global campaign to highlight the threat of antibiotic resistance.  

Former Wales international rugby referee, Nigel Owens, and Miss Wales, Millie-Mae Adams, are both speaking out about one of the world’s biggest killers. One person dies every six seconds due to infections associated with antibiotic resistance. 

Nigel Owens, who farms in South Wales, said that antibiotics are becoming less effective because we are overusing them and, in some cases, not using them properly.  

“This is a problem we must tackle now before it gets worse. Antibiotics are vital for fighting infections in people. As a farmer, I know how important they are for the health of our animals, too. We have to keep them working – and that means only using them when and as prescribed by a professional.” 

It’s a call that is echoed by Millie-Mae Adams who, as a medical student, says she’s concerned about the impact antibiotic resistance will have in years to come.  

“Routine treatments such as chemotherapy, organ transplants and joint replacements will no longer be possible if the antibiotics needed to make them safe stop working. 

Adams, who was crowned Miss Wales in 2023, continues:

“Antibiotics are a precious resource, and we need to treat them that way. We must all act now to slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.” 

Public Health Wales is calling on healthcare professionals, patients and the Welsh public to only use antibiotics when needed. 

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria find a way to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Whenever we use antibiotics, we give the bacteria a chance to fight back.  

The overuse of antibiotics in recent years means they're becoming less effective.  

Dr Eleri Davies, Deputy Medical Director and Head of the Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance Programme at Public Health Wales, explains how it’s already impacting people in Wales:

“Our data shows that one in six cases of sepsis in Wales are resistant to our first-choice antibiotic. If sepsis is not treated early, it can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail, which can be fatal.  

“One in three urinary tract infections (UTI) are also resistant to one of our first-choice antibiotics. This can result in longer symptoms, discomfort and can lead to kidney infections as well as sepsis. 

We can and must act now to combat antibiotic resistance. For the public, this means only taking antibiotics when they’re prescribed by a healthcare professional and never sharing them with others or saving them for later.”