Preventing Antibiotic Resistance: Look to the Livestock Industry

Among the major drivers of the Antimicrobial Resistance crisis is the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in livestock and feed. Credit: Germán Miranda/IPS. By Tharanga YakupitiyageUNITED NATIONS, May 21 2019 (IPS) Antimicrobial resistance is quickly becoming a global crisis and risks reversing a century of progress in health. Some organisations have already geared up and are tackling the issue from its roots. In a new report, the United Nations Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on Antimicrobial Resistance estimates that antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. Already, drug-resistant infections cause at least 700,000 deaths annually around the world. “Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats we face as a global community,” said UN Deputy Secretary-General and Co-Chair of the IACG Amina Mohammed. “[The report] rightly emphasises that there is no time to wait and I urge all stakeholders to act on its recommendations and work urgently to protect our people and planet and secure a sustainable future for all,” she added. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that antibiotic resistance was a “global crisis that we cannot ignore” and that if ignored, “will take us back to a time where people feared common infections and risked their lives from minor surgery.” According to the IACG report, approximately 35 percent of common human infections are already resistant to currently available medicines in some ...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Development & Aid Featured Global Headlines Health IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse North America Regional Categories Sustainability TerraViva United Nations Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) WHO Source Type: news