Prof Michael Sharland
Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, City St Georges’s, University of London
Prof Holger Rohde
Professor of Molecular Microbiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
The rise of antibiotic resistance threatens life-saving medical procedures. Coordinated global action based on scientific evidence is crucial to combat this growing health crisis.
Many lifesaving procedures in modern medicine are only possible because of the availability of highly effective antibiotics. The increasing global spread of multi-resistant pathogens is fundamentally challenging these achievements.
Strategic approaches to control AMR
Five key strategies are envisaged to successfully control AMR:
- Optimised use of antibiotics through the implementation of global and national policy and stewardship intervention
- Reducing the need for antibiotics by preventing infections through vaccination, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems, plus infection prevention and control standards
- Ongoing national and global surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance to support targeted health policy interventions
- Research into the optimal use of currently available and new antimicrobial agents and diagnostics for the management of multi-resistant infections
- Development of new antimicrobial agents for treating multi-resistant pathogens and new financing mechanisms for antibiotic therapies that decouple industry revenues from antibiotic use
Many lifesaving procedures in modern
medicine are only possible because of the
availability of highly effective antibiotics.
Policy-science alliance against AMR
In September 2024, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) agreed to set a target to reduce the number of infections caused by AMR pathogens by 10% and that 70% of the total human use should be narrow-spectrum Access antibiotics. Further binding objectives, across the One Health sectors, will be needed to effectively tackle the problem.
Scientific societies should actively engage in setting evidence-based targets, continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of policy interventions and facilitating shared learning between countries. The agreement at the UN General Assembly to establish an independent scientific panel on antimicrobial resistance, similar to the panel on climate change, is therefore a major step forward.
Key role in the fight against AMR for scientific societies
Scientists and experts in AMR must protect public health. The European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) and other global societies in microbiology, infectious diseases and other areas are committed to this responsibility. Active participation in the AMR Scientific Panel is crucial for leveraging scientific expertise and collaborating with policymakers, which can influence AMR policy decisions. We can still prevent future generations from entering a post-antibiotic era.
