Antimicrobial Resistance / AMR
Vital antimicrobials, particularly antibiotics, stand as foundational pillars within contemporary healthcare systems and societies. However, their efficacy is now at risk due to the emergence and proliferation of drug-resistant microorganisms across humans, animals, and the environment, rendering them impervious to medications that were once effective. This concerning phenomenon is recognized as antimicrobial resistance, or ‘AMR.
Alarming rates of AMR have been identified globally, with an ongoing escalation. The repercussions are palpable across nations irrespective of their economic status, though low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden.
Antimicrobials are indispensable for treating and preventing infections in humans, animals, and plants, facilitating critical and life-saving medical interventions. Since the groundbreaking discovery of penicillin in 1928, modern medicine has flourished, saving millions of lives globally. Antibiotics have significantly contributed to increased life expectancy worldwide. A world without effective antimicrobials poses a grave threat to life as we know it.
