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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
ABOUT 5 748 cases of urethral and vaginal discharge which is commonly linked to gonorrhoea were recorded in Bulawayo last year with growing concern that the continuous abuse of antibiotics to ‘treat’ Covid-19 symptoms may leave residents with untreatable sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The cases were recorded from all council-run clinics from January to November last year.

With Covid-19 cases on an increase, members have the public resorted to self medicating even with antibiotics oblivious of the effects this may have on their health.

Bulawayo director of health services Dr Edwin Sibanda said residents should remember that antibiotics have not been proven to treat or prevent Covid-19 and should not be taken without professional advice.

He said misuse of antibiotics may lead to untreatable diseases and liver burdening of the health sector.

Dr Sibanda said gonorrhoea is not always easy to diagnose through the laboratory hence clinical presentation of urethral or vaginal discharge is treated syndromically and acts as a proxy for STI.

“It is known that there are other causes of genital or urinary discharge which include trichomonas, chlamydia, candida.

“All these infections cause a discharge, and treatment is syndromic meaning we treat all possible causes without waiting for the exact causative agent to be identified,” said Dr Sibanda.

“In 2020 up to November there 5 748 cases down 2019 where there were 7 609 cases urethral or vaginal discharge out of a population of 700 466,” he said.

Dr Sibanda urged members of the public to use antibiotics when absolutely necessary and only to buy them with a prescription from a qualified health person.

“If it’s gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted illness with persistence due to abuse of antibiotics, one may have higher chances of spreading the infection and developing complications.

“These complications include blockage of fallopian tubes in women and urethrae in men leading to sub fertility and transmission of the same to newly born babies leading to eye complications and possible blindness,” he said.

Dr Sibanda said that preventive measures of abstinence where possible, being faithful to one sexual partner and consistent and correct usage of condoms still apply to all STIs including gonorrhoea.

“When they suspect that one has an STI, residents should seek treatment early and ensure treatment of all their sexual partners as some may have no symptoms.

“They should also avoid self treatment and when given a course of medication they must complete it and never share antibiotics,” he said.

“The abuse of antibiotics is bad medically as more expensive antibiotics have to be found to treat simple common infections.

“This, economically as a country, means we constantly pay more to import stronger medicines and revise treatment guidelines.

“When infections become resistant people take longer to recover and those admitted stay longer in hospital which becomes strenuous to those working in health institutions.”

Zimbabwe recently joined the world in marking the Antimicrobial Awareness Week (AMR) amid calls for members of the public to stop taking antibiotics without consulting medical experts.

AMR occurs when disease and infection causing bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.−@thamamoe