Antibiotic resistance—the need for global solutions

This article published in the Lancet, argues that coordinated action at the political level, both nationally and internationally is required to meet the challenge of antibiotic resistance. If such global coordinated actions are not immediately taken the authors argue that we will see major setbacks, medically, socially, and economically. The article focuses on antibiotic resistance from a global perspective and identifies key areas where action is needed.

Abstract as follows

The causes of antibiotic resistance are complex and include human behaviour at many levels of society; the consequences affect everybody in the world. Similarities with climate change are evident. Many efforts have been made to describe the many different facets of antibiotic resistance and the interventions needed to meet the challenge. However, coordinated action is largely absent, especially at the political level, both nationally and internationally. Antibiotics paved the way for unprecedented medical and societal developments, and are today indispensible in all health systems. Achievements in modern medicine, such as major surgery, organ transplantation, treatment of preterm babies, and cancer chemotherapy, which we today take for granted, would not be possible without access to effective treatment for bacterial infections. Within just a few years, we might be faced with dire setbacks, medically, socially, and economically, unless real and unprecedented global coordinated actions are immediately taken. Here, we describe the global situation of antibiotic resistance, its major causes and consequences, and identify key areas in which action is urgently needed.

Citation

Laxminarayan R, Duse  A, Wattal  C, Zaidi  A, Wertheim H, Sumpradit N, Vlieghe E, Levy Hara G, M Gould  I, Goossens H, Greko C, So A, Bigdeli M, Tomson G, Woodhouse W, Ombaka E, Quizhpe Peralta A, Naz Qamar F, Mir F, Kariuki  S, Bhutta Z, Coates A, Bergstrom R, Wright  G, Brown  E, Cars  O, Antibiotic resistance – the need for global solutions, 2013 The Lancet Infectious Diseases

You can read the full article here (note that you will need journal subscription to do so).