As the UK’s Five-year Strategy comes to an end this year, the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance continues to dominate the headlines. However, are we making progress? Which pathogens are proving to be problematic and how should we be moving forward to tackle the threat of AMR in the future?
As the UK’s Five-year Strategy comes to an end this year, the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance continues to dominate the headlines. However, are we making progress? Which pathogens are proving to be problematic and how should we be moving forward to tackle the threat of AMR in the future?
In May 2016, Lord Jim O’Neill’s global Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) warned that antibiotic resistance could kill 10 million people a year by 2050, with a cumulative economic cost of around $US 100 trillion. Coinciding with the publication of O’Neill’s seminal report, NHS England launched the world’s largest healthcare incentive scheme to tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. CQUIN and Quality Premium payments were introduced, helping to ensure healthcare providers focused their attention on driving improvements in antibiotic prescribing.
As the ‘Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy’ comes to an end this year, the UK awaits the next phase of strategic direction from the Department of Health. While we evaluate the priorities for the next five years, it is an appropriate time to reflect on: What has been achieved? Where do we go from here? And what is the scale of the problem we are facing – not just within our borders, but on a global platform?
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