TOPIC AREA 4
TARGETING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE The Scale of the Problem
Antimicrobials, or agents that kill microorganisms, changed the course of human disease history. The discovery and development of antibiotics is arguably one of the great achievements in human history. Prior to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, even a small scratch could be life-threatening. Following the discovery of penicillin and the development of numerous other antibiotics, infections that used to be deadly became treatable. For decades, people around the world have used antibiotics and more recently antivirals, giving little thought to the genetic mutations occurring within the microscopic organisms. Today, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become endemic in almost every country and, if not addressed, society could be heading back into a world where the smallest of scratches could be deadly. AMR is a result of the selective pressure placed on bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites due to their interaction with antimicrobials. As Ferri et al. (2017) describes, “AMR became an unavoidable
Global Leadership at a Crossroads
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