deaths per year are directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance globally1
of urinary tract infections are not treatable with a regularly prescribed antibiotic2
people in the US receive unnecessary antibiotics for respiratory infections annually3
deaths caused by AMR are projected annually worldwide by 2050, eclipsing 8.2 million for cancer4
In May 2015, the “Global Action Plan” to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines was endorsed by the World Health Assembly. The goal of the plan is to ensure continuity of successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with effective and safe medicines that are quality assured, used in a responsible way, and accessible to all who need them.
The 5 objectives outlined in the “Global Action Plan” are to:
In our latest weekly analysis of the literature on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship, Francesca Chiara, PhD, MSc, MRes, Jamie Umber, DVM, MPH, and Natalie Vestin, MPH, assess shortened antibiotic therapy for six common infections, evaluate the effect of antimicrobial use on the development of drug-resistant bacteria in critically ill dogs, and outline research needs for understanding how environmental AMR plays a role in human health.
