Tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance: from policy to sustainable action.
Antibiotics underpin all of modern medicine, from routine major surgery through to caesarean sections and modern cancer therapies. These drugs have revolutionized how we practice medicine, but we are in a constant evolutionary battle to evade microbial resistance and this has become a major global public health problem. We have overused and misused these essential medicines both in the human and animal health sectors and this threatens the effectiveness of antimicrobials for future generations. We can only address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through international collaboration across human and animal health sectors integrating social, economic and behavioural factors. Our global organizations are rising to the challenge with the recent World Health Assembly resolution on AMR and development of the Global Action plan but we must act now to avoid a return to a pre-antibiotic era.
Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Officer, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS, UK Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London NW1 2DA, UK laura.shallcross@dh.gsi.gov.uk.
Laura J
LJ
Shallcross
North East Health Protection Team, Public Health England, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4WH, UK.
Simon J
SJ
Howard
Genomics England, Queen Mary University of London, Dawson Hall, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Tom
T
Fowler
Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Officer, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS, UK.
Sally C
SC
Davies
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D014943:Global Health / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
antimicrobial resistance; global health; policy; public health