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World Antibiotic Awareness Week
![World Antibiotic Awareness Week](/cache/296aecfc4287808ee7e853594009ac18.jpg)
World Antibiotic Awareness Week runs from November 18 to 24. Poland, with a value of 23.6 daily defined doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2022, was among the countries with the highest use of antibiotics.
Higher rates were only recorded in Malta, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Cyprus, respectively: 24.0; 24.3; 25.7; 27.6; 32.9 and 33.5 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day. In Poland, in 2022, the average consumption of antibacterial agents in outpatient care amounted to 22.3 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day, which was higher than the average consumption in EU/EEA countries of 18.0 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day, with individual countries reporting consumption ranging from 8.3 to 31.2 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day. Patient's Duties in Preventing the Rise of Antibiotic Resistance:
use antibiotics only when they have been prescribed by a doctor
do not demand antibiotics if the doctor says you do not need them
when using antibiotics, follow the doctor's instructions – do not shorten the therapy on your own
do not share or use leftover antibiotics from previous therapy
prevent infections by regularly washing hands, preparing food hygienically, avoiding close contact with sick people, updating vaccinations, and practicing safe sex
prepare food in a hygienic way (maintain cleanliness, separate raw and cooked food, cook thoroughly, keep food at a safe temperature, use safe water and raw materials) and choose food that has been produced without the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry.