The Independent has reported that a stark warning of a potential ‘post-antibiotic apocalypse’ has been issued by England’s chief medical officer (CMO), Dame Sally Davies, who has called on world leaders to take action on antibiotic resistance.
End of medicine
Antibiotic resistance has been on the agenda for several years with regulatory bodies and health agencies around the world looking at various schemes to help avert a potential crisis. However, the threat is ever increasing and in a report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month it was revealed that development of new antibiotics to combat the crisis is severely lacking.
“We really are facing, if we don’t take action now, a dreadful post-antibiotic apocalypse,” Davies told the Press Association. “I don’t want to say to my children that I didn’t do my best to protect them and their children.”
Without effective medicines to treat infections, what we now consider routine operations will become risky and transplants would be impossible. However, as it is a ‘hidden’ problem too many people are ignoring it.
“This is a serious issue that is with us now, causing deaths,” Davies continued. “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.
“Not to be able to effectively treat infections means that caesarean sections, hip replacements, modern surgery, is risky. Modern cancer treatment is risky and transplant medicine becomes a thing of the past.”
The UK has been one of the leaders in trying to address the rising issue of antibiotic resistance, reducing overall antibiotic use. However, this work could be undermined if other global regions do not take urgent action, according to Davies’ warning.
“We use more [antibiotics] than I would like and we estimate that about one in three or one in four prescriptions in primary care are probably not needed,” she stated. “But other countries use vastly more antibiotics in the community and they need to start doing as we are, which is reducing usage. Our latest data shows that we have reduced human consumption by 4.3% in 2014/15 from the year before.”
A ‘call to action’ meeting has been organized by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust, among others, to looking at the escalating problem on a global scale and to announce a new project, which will map out where ‘superbugs’ are causing death and disease.
“The UK is not content to sit back and let this turn into a catastrophe,” stressed foreign and international development minister Alistair Burt when speaking to The Independent. “Part of the problem has been a lack of co-ordination of global efforts and an understanding of where we need to target our future efforts.
“The partnership we are announcing today — part of more than £160 million in new research funding in the past year — will help us to pinpoint problem areas. This is just one part of our more than £615 million investment by the UK government into tackling drug-resistant infections since we launched our National Strategy at the end of 2013.”
The Wellcome Trust is investing £2.4 million in the global project to pinpoint areas where superbugs are causing death and disease. Speaking to The Independent, the Trust’s head of drug resistant infections, Tim Jinks, said: “While we have seen progress in recognition around the world of the threat that superbugs pose, we need to retain momentum. High-level commitments must quickly become action. The Global Burden of Disease AMR project will provide vital information on the spread and impact of drug resistance and is one of a number of activities Wellcome is supporting to help address this urgent global problem.
“Together, we can stop superbugs undermining the whole of modern medicine.”
A statement released from Antibiotic Research UK has revealed an action plan:
“Antibiotic Research UK announced at its Annual Lecture given by Dame Sally Davies a Five Point Action Plan to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance in the UK
Key points include:
- 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 that they recommence their antibiotic drug development programmes.
- That 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 monies coming from government, pharma and medical charities. The pharma money could be a quid pro quo for agreeing a reimbursement model.”