11/03/13
By Steven Birch
Britain should be as worried about increased antibiotic resistance as it is about terrorism and climate change, according to the Government's Chief Medical Officer.
Professor Dame Sally Davies explained that in just over 20 years time undergoing even minor surgery could become fatal if antibiotics are not effective at battling off infections.
She has called for the issue to be put on the Government's National Risk Register, which covers issues such as civil emergencies and terrorist attacks.
The register is used to assess the potential impact and likelihood of risks that could affect the UK.
It is used to help the Government, individuals and other organisations to ensure that they are as prepared as possible to cope with the highlighted threats.
In her report Dame Sally has also urged the Government to make sure the issue is discussed at the G8 summit in London in April.
She described the issue as a "catastrophic threat" and called for current antibiotic stocks to have greater protection along with greater incentives for new drugs to be developed.
The report states that UK politicians need to recognise the dangers of growing antimicrobial resistance and also "push for action internationally".
Dame Sally describes the issue as a "ticking time-bomb" that will damage hit other parts of the world as well as Britain.
She suggests that a collaborative effort is the only way to deactivate the bomb before it detonates so politicians should waste no time in trying to come up with a solution.
"This threat is arguably as important as climate change for the world," she added.
To emphasise how much of a problem this could be, Dame Sally explained that in 20 years time someone going into hospital for hip replacements or organ transplants could end up dying from a routine infection.
Although she highlighted that politicians and bodies such as the World Health Organisation and G8 need to take the problem seriously, she also said the pharmaceutical industry needs to step up as well.
Dame Sally explained that since 1987 there has been a "discovery void" of new antibiotics being discovered, which means that during that period diseases have evolved more than the drugs used to fight them, she added.
To redress the balance, she has called for pharmaceutical firms to be given greater incentives to develop new drugs.
Dame Sally believes the lack of antibiotic development during the last 20 years is because there hasn't been enough encouragement for firms, which is why she wants this to change straight away.
She highlighted that there are currently no new antibiotics in the pipeline across the world, while there are also very few in development.
In the shorter term, the report also warns that more should be done to protect existing antibiotics stocks.
It highlights that better hygiene practices should be followed to prevent infections, with fewer antibiotics being prescribed and in the right quantities.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment