The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has launched this year's World Antimicrobial Week (WAAW) with a call on the public to refrain from using antibiotics to treat common influenza or coughs.

It cautioned that viruses that caused flu or colds were increas­ingly becoming resistant against available antibiotics hence it was important that the public pur­chased them only when prescribed. • Dr Samuel Kow Donkoh "Do not request for antibiotics when you have flu.

Most coughs, sore throats or colds are self-lim­iting and caused by viruses and do not require antibiotics, same way not all feverish conditions are due to malaria.

Test for malaria before taking an­timalarials.