Antimicrobial Resistance is Set to Become the Next Public Health Emergency
Infections due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are a significant threat to modern healthcare as well as to public health. In Europe, 33,000 individuals are estimated to die every year as a result of an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.1 The COVID-19 crisis reinforced the critical importance of treatments for infectious diseases, as many related deaths and severe cases involve not only the virus, but are also complicated by secondary bacterial infections.
AMR is a threat to all of us, especially those with chronic conditions. Without effective antibiotics, patients lose not just treatments for serious infections but also face significantly increased risks from many medical services that rely upon the effective prevention and treatment of infections. If no action is taken, drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and damage to the economy as catastrophic as the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty.
The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease is launching in the EU to help prevent this crisis. The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease EU's (PFID) goal is to explore and advance solutions to combat the growing threat of AMR.PFID currently exists in the United States and Japan and is launching in the EU. PFIDis a non-profit group of patients, providers, community organizations, academic researchers, business and labor groups, and infectious disease experts working to raise awareness of threats posed by infectious diseases. Dr. Ishii, a professor at the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo,"welcomes the establishment of the PFID chapter in Europe. Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance must be discussed internationally, and these discussions will lead to innovative solutions to solving this crisis on a global scale."
The shortage of new antibiotics has two main causes. Firstly, the development of new and novel antibiotics to treat AMR infections is very scientifically challenging- the last novel class of antibiotics was approved in 19862. Secondly, the market for new antibiotics is not commercially sustainable. PFID seeks to address both of these by working with policymakers to ensure the environment is suitable for the amount of investment required.
"Ninety percent of AMR innovation comes from small companies, but we desperately need to find better ways to help these life-saving products reach patients before it's too late," said Kevin Outterson, Executive Director, CARB-X and PFID US Advisory Board Member. "The time for action is now and the EU has a vast opportunity to bring global solutions to the increasing problems posed by AMR."
Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease is a group of patients, providers, community organizations, academic researchers, business and labor groups, and infectious disease experts working to raise awareness of threats posed by infectious disease, as well as advance solutions to ensure future pandemic preparedness. PFID is a not-for-profit NGO.
1 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(18)30605-4/fulltext
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369527419300190
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