Antibiotic Resistance: Tackling A Global Threat Through Collaboration

Last week's World Antibiotic Awareness Week was aimed at continuing to raise the profile of importance of tackling antimicrobial resistance.1

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming an increasingly serious threat. There are profound health and macroeconomic consequences for the world, especially in emerging economies, if antibiotic resistance is not combated effectively. The final report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance commission estimates that, if not addressed, by 2050 the consequences from losing the ability to treat infections effectively could kill 10 million people per year, leading to a higher mortality than cancer or road traffic accidents.2 This week's blog is by one of our colleagues, George Walker, and explores the causes and risks of antibiotic resistance and what actions can be taken to avoid the dawning of a 'post-antibiotic era' that would put the achievements of modern medicine at significant risk.

Antibiotics were discovered in the early 20th century as an effective treatment to the many bacterial infections, like bacterial pneumonia, wound infections and tuberculosis (TB) that were killing millions of people. They went on to revolutionise healthcare, becoming one of the greatest medical advances of the century. However, antibiotic resistance occurs naturally and the misuse of antibiotic prescribing has allowed bacterial pathogens to develop resistance to some of the most powerful drugs used to combat them. Additionally, the problem extends to all microbes that have the potential to mutate and render both known and newly developed drugs ineffective.3 The recent crisis of antimicrobial resistance has been exacerbated because the pace at which we are discovering new antibiotics has slowed drastically, whilst the use of antibiotics still continues to rise.4

Today even last-line antibiotics are starting to fail

The damaging effects of antibiotic resistance are already manifesting themselves across the world. Antimicrobial-resistant infections currently claim at least 50,000 lives each year across Europe and the US alone, with a total estimate of 700,000 annual deaths caused by AMR globally. However, reliable estimates of the true burden are scarce.5

Easily spread and broadly present multi-resistant 'superbugs' such as methicillin-resistant (MRSA) affect even previously healthy people, and can cause devastating diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis.6 Evidence shows that across Europe 7 out of 30...