England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has called for global action to tackle the catastrophic threat of antimicrobial resistance, which in 20 years could see people dying following minor surgery.
Her warning follows publication of the second volume of the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report, which provides an overview of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases. Calling for politicians to treat the threat as seriously as MRSA, the report highlights a ‘discovery void’ with few new antibiotics developed in the past two decades. It warns that, while a new infectious disease has been discovered nearly every year over the past 30 years, there have been very few new antibiotics developed leaving our armoury nearly empty as diseases evolve and become resistant to existing drugs. In addition to encouraging development of new drugs, the report states that looking after existing antibiotics is equally important. This means using better hygiene measures to prevent infections, prescribing fewer antibiotics and making sure they are only prescribed when needed. The Chief Medical Officer also states that more action is needed to tackle the next generation of healthcare-associated infections, including new strains of pneumonia-causing klebsiella, that will be harder to treat. A five-year UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and Action Plan will champion the responsible use of antibiotics by ensuring NHS staff have the skills, knowledge and training to prescribe and administer antibiotics appropriately. Part of this will include reviewing and updating the curricula for medical undergraduates. Surveillance will be strengthened by improving the recording of data on the numbers of antibiotics prescribed and trends in antibiotic resistance. This information can used by clinicians to change patterns of prescribing. This will help reduce the level of resistance and help ensure patients respond to treatments. The development of new diagnostics, therapeutics and antibiotics will also be encouraged, for example by continuing to support the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and other initiatives that encourage scientific research.
Credit: CDC/Jim Biddle
