20.05.13
International effort needed against antimicrobial resistance
The UK will call for international action to tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the World Health Assembly today.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies will address the topic, emphasising the need to work collaboratively to address the problem of AMR.
A five-year cross-government strategy is to be published this summer to slow the development and spread of AMR, maintain the efficacy of existing antimicrobials and support the development of new treatments.
Hunt said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. There are few public health issues of greater importance. We need stronger international partnerships and coalitions so that the threat of AMR is fully recognised and the responsibility for reducing it is shared.”
Professor Dame Sally Davies said: “We in the UK are taking this issue extremely seriously and will be publishing a five-year, cross government strategy in the summer.
“But we can’t really tackle it unless we get coordinated, international action, which is why we’re working in partnership to push it up the global political agenda.
“As I keep saying, if we don’t take action, in 20 years’ time we could be back in the 19th century where infections kill us as a result of routine operations.”
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