South Africa's antibiotic use is on the rise. It increased by a staggering 219% in the period between 2000 and 2010 compared with 30% globally in the same period.This is according to an analysis of global antibiotic use by the Washington-based Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, which released a report yesterday in conjunction with the Global Antibiotic Resistance Group, a Bill and Melinda Gates-funded initiative.The centre accessed data on the number of antibiotics sold in countries from IMS, a global pharmaceutical consulting firm that has a presence in South Africa.The increase in antibiotics use per person in South Africa was calculated at 80% over 10 years.Three-quarters of the total increase in global consumption of antibiotics over the 10 years took place in Brics countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - although the bloc only accounted for a third of the world's rise in population.This increased use of antibiotics in Brics countries is likely to continue as incomes rise.But consumption per person of antibiotics in Brics countries is still lower than in the US, where use is correlated not just with disease but also by factors such as the number of doctors in an area. More doctors means it is easier to get an appointment and medication.The over-use of antibiotics - including those used for viral infections - or incorrect dosage drive antibiotic resistance, ultimately leading to superbugs that cannot be treated."When it comes to antibiotic-resistant infections, the rich pay with their wallets and the poor pay with their lives," said report author Ramanan Laxminarayan.The report singles out and praises South Africa's efforts to develop a national antibiotic stewardship strategy, announced last year.The strategy has improved infection control in hospitals, enhanced the monitoring of resistant infections and has worked to ensure correct prescribing of antibiotics in hospital.The report also notes that the prevalence of the MRSA superbug, which can be resistant to even last-resort antibiotics and contracted in hospitals, has dropped in recent years in South Africa.Globally, up to 50% of antibiotic use outside hospitals is inappropriate - either the wrong drug is used, the wrong duration is specified, incorrect dose of the drug is prescribed or antibiotics are given for viral infections for which they can do nothing about.The report authors said said today they believe that the "dramatic increase" in antibiotic use in South Africa seems to be due to a World Health Organisation recommended practice of prescribing inexpensive antibiotics to infants who have HIV or whose mothers were HIV positive.The inexpensive antibiotic co-trimoxazole is given to babies who may have HIV to prevent them from developing serious infections including pneumonia, which can be deadly. Often the drug is given before the infant is tested to see if they are HIV negative or positive.This means the 219% increase is not due to over-prescribing of antibiotics to people who don’t need them, but due to a practice recommended to prevent infant deaths...