Antimicrobial chemotherapy and Sustainable Development: The past, The Current Trend, and the futu

Antimicrobial chemotherapy is a highly valued medical science which has shaped modern humanity in a phenomenal fashion. Within the past half century, a wide variety of antimicrobial substances have been discovered, designed and synthesized; literally hundreds of drugs have been successfully used in some fashion over the years. Today, the world wide anti-infective market exceeds $20 billion dollars annually and overall antimicrobial agents comprise the bulk of this trade. A number of general classes of antimicrobial drugs have emerged as mainstays in modern infectious disease chemotherapy. Regardless of a better understanding of infectious disease pathogenesis and the importance of sanitation, most individuals will become infected with a microbial pathogen many times, throughout their lives and in developed countries, anti-infective chemotherapy will be periodically administered. Antibacterial amount for the majority of antiinfective agents in comparison to antifungals, antivirals and antiparasitic agents. An antimicrobial is a chemical substance produced by microorganisms that can inhibit the growth of, or kill other microorganisms. The goal of antimicrobial in disease such as gastroenteritis is to decrease stool water and electrolyte losses, thus limiting the morbidity resulting from dehydration. Most antiretroviral only suppress the pathogen and boast the immune status but does not provide cure. To date, several drugs have been tried in the treatment of acute diseases such as diarrhea, HIV/AIDS but none has met the requirements enumerated above. They are therefore of very limited value in the department of diarrhea, especially in children as well in department of HIV/AIDS (Afr. J. Biomed. Res. 11: 235 - 250 ) Key Words; Antimicrobials, microbial resistance, diseases