75 International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 04 No. 02 April’20 Editorial: Prevention is Better than Cure: Antibiotic Resistance and Management of Infectious Diseases Mainul Haque Keywords: Inhibition, stoppage, superior, antibiotic, antimicrobial, AMR, treatment, communicable, contagious, illness, sickness Correspondence to: Mainul Haque, Professor of the Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, (National De- fence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Email: runurono@gmail.com International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 04 No. 02 April’20 Page : 75-78 Prevention is Better than Cure: Antibiotic Resistance and Management of Infectious Diseases Homo sapiens are enjoying a better-quality life for the last seven to eight decades because of the invention of antimicrobials that have successfully treated many bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan, parasitic diseases around the globe. 1 The easy availability of an antibiotic has promoted a lot of overuse of this important remedial agent called ‘miracle drugs’ 2 all over the world, especially in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs), where, at many occasions’ antimicrobials are often sold over the counter without any prescription. 3 Additionally, the World Health Organization reported that around 50% of antibiotics consumption is without any defnite clinical need or irrationally or imprudent. 4 Microbial drug resistance is a natural phenomenon when these small creatures are in contact with antimicrobials. 5,6 Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) considered as an evolutionary process of microbes of battling antimicrobial chemotherapy, for their ultimate existence learned over billons years; nevertheless, overuse, misuse, irrational, imprudent use of antimicrobials in last 60 years enhanced the process very fast. 7 It is often called “a manmade situation superimposed on nature; there is perhaps a no better example of the Darwinian notions of selection and survival.” 7 Consequently, AMR is a great concern public health issue of coast-to-coast and global of the present time and is expected to persist for a long time. Antimicrobial resistance is intensifying in a geometric progression that increases statistically signifcantly treatment-related expenses, both for individuals and of community, morbidity, and DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31344/ijhhs.v4i2.179 mortality. Additionally, the situation getting worse because almost no new antimicrobials are in the pipeline to appear in the market very soon to counter the AMR. 1,8,9 Currently, the situation AMR is horrifying as almost all available antibiotics or antimicrobials for clinical use are resistant. Even the last resort for infectious diseases the colistin similarly resistant. 10-13 Mobile colistin gene (MCR) has nine diferent varieties and located all over the planet within a few years’ time. 14,15 Now-a days, it has been advised that infection evasion is much signifcant than to treat pathogenic infectious diseases. 16,17 Thus, it recalls the famous English quote, “prevention is better than cure.” All health professionals must prescribe antimicrobials only on documentary evidence infection, 18,19 and efort need enhance to minimize utilization of antimicrobials by averting healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) as infection should not occur primarily and to stop transmission. 20,21 Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery advised seven stratagems to avert HCAIs. 22 Those policy and planning are “patient safety, following guidelines, antibiotic stewardship, surveillance, screening and cohorting patients, environmental hygiene, and hand hygiene.” 22 Prevention antibiotic resistance, especially in LMICs antibiotic stewardship and hand hygiene, are the most efective and equally cost-saving strategies. 23,24 Antibiotic stewardship and hand hygiene both involve very-low budgetary issues to prevent antimicrobial resistance and management of infectious diseases; consequently, more suitable for resource-poor countries. 25,26 Although multiple studies have been recommended that multidisciplinary approaches are required for preventing infectious diseases and to avert antibiotic resistance. 9,27,28 The society for healthcare