Antibiotic resistant infections are predicted to lead to 10 million deaths per year globally by 2050 at a cost of up to $100 trillion to the world economy. In the UK at least 12,000 people per year die from resistant infections (a likely underestimate).
Following their Annual Lecture given in London by Dame Sally Davies this week, Antibiotic Research UK announced a five-point action plan, which they would like to see adopted by all stakeholders with an involvement with antibiotic resistance.
The purpose of the plan is to move the debate from a global and national level to a local level since it is only local actions that will impact the resistance threat to modern medicine.
Professor Colin Garner, Chief Executive of Antibiotic Research UK, said: “We believe the Third Sector has a pivotal role to play in tackling antibiotic resistance. Numerous surveys have shown that charities can provide a bridgehead between official organisations and the public. We want to see a a GRAND ALLIANCE formed of all stakeholders including other medical research charities that focus on cancer treatments, heart surgery, organ transplantation, childbirth, joint replacements etc.”
Dame Sally Davies said: “This resistance is with us now, killing people. This is a serious issue that is causing deaths. If it was anything else, people would be up in arms about it. But because it is hidden they just let it pass. It does not really have a ‘face’ because most people who die of drug-resistant infections, their families just think they died of an uncontrolled infection. It will only get worse unless we take strong action everywhere across the globe.
“We need some real work on the ground to make a difference or we risk the end of modern medicine. The charity needs to raise £600,000 in 2018 to fund the next phase of its research where it will progress leads that it has identified as well as launching its education programme.”
Key points included the following:
- call to form a GRAND ALLIANCE of the UK government, the pharmaceutical industry, collective medical research charities, academics and the public to produce a UK focussed GRAND STRATEGIC PLAN
- a proposal that regional Antibiotic Resistance Registers be created in the same way that we have regional cancer registers
- the government to introduce a re-imbursement model now for pharmaceutical companies so they recommence their antibiotic drug development programmes
- the Third Sector must be part of the resistance solution and must be allowed to apply for government funding
- the creation of a £100 million UK Antibiotic Discovery Fund with money coming from government, pharma and medical charities
