China acts to curb antibiotics abuse

Too much of a good thing, as they say, is bad. China is supposed to have the world's highest rate of antibiotics abuse and the problem, apart from killing an estimated 80,000 a year, is leading to an increased resistance of bacteria to drugs, resulting in a rising number of recessive syphilis cases, among others. An ambitious two-year project has now been launched to train over 30,000 medical staff across China in the responsible use of antibiotics.

According to a TIME article in 2005, China's "tendency to overprescribe antibiotics can be traced back to its traditional medical beliefs". So the next time a Chinese doctor offers to put you on a drip for a minor ailment, stand up for yourself and say no.