Ramanan Laxminarayan

At the global level, it’s all about evidence, both creation and dissemination. At the ground level, it’s about translating that evidence into action. At CDDEP, we see a role at both ends when combating AMR. Given that we rely so much on antibiotics, protecting their effectiveness is a very central goal for global health because without antibiotics we risk going backward in many respects. Resistance Map is a global repository of drug resistance—data collected from accredited labs, in both the public and private sector. The data is being used to educate and to inform public policy makers and others on how resistance is changing over time. It also allows resistance rates to be compared across different countries and geographies. I have been addressing antibiotic resistance through research, policy, and outreach for over 20 years now. I have been witness to a time when resistance rates were under 1% and today we see these rates at 50%. Antibiotic resistance has become a serious problem. It’s something I’m passionate about, and something that I think is deeply important. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.