Earlier this week Melissa and I had the opportunity to attend a short seminar on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), hosted by the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS. This involved a keynote address from Dr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, who serves as the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety for the European Union (EU), followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Jean Patel, the Science Lead for Antimicrobial Resistance Coordination & Strategy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Andri
ukaitis made a very passionate case for continued cooperation globally to combat the propagation of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. No doubt his background as a surgeon has informed his understanding of the burden caused by drug resistance, and it became quite clear that as a politician he planned to put a significant amount of his time and efforts into this “ongoing silent tsunami” of an issue. He advocated for greater education of people not only who dispense antibiotics, but also for those who use them so that the common misconceptions that exist surrounding the capabilities of these drugs can be changed over time. He spoke on the cross-section of animal disease, human disease, and the environment, all of which play into the development of drug-resistant strains of common pathogens, and reminded the audience that change must occur at all levels of regulation to be effective; local, national and international.
ukaitis made a very passionate case for continued cooperation globally to combat the propagation of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. No doubt his background as a surgeon has informed his understanding of the burden caused by drug resistance, and it became quite clear that as a politician he planned to put a significant amount of his time and efforts into this “ongoing silent tsunami” of an issue. He advocated for greater education of people not only who dispense antibiotics, but also for those who use them so that the common misconceptions that exist surrounding the capabilities of these drugs can be changed over time. He spoke on the cross-section of animal disease, human disease, and the environment, all of which play into the development of drug-resistant strains of common pathogens, and reminded the audience that change must occur at all levels of regulation to be effective; local, national and international.In a relatively short overview of the challenges that we face with AMR, Dr. Andriukaitis was able to touch on many of the issues that we have discussed in our infectious disease courses at Berkeley; incorrect use of antibiotics in humans and animals, lingering behaviors that exacerbate the issue, and the need for political and intellectual action to not only stop the spread of these strains but also to find new ways of treating disease caused by them. Other students and representatives of local organizations questioned the importance of the internet as a forum for spreading incorrect information, potential for greater school education on preventing resistance, and how specific diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV play into worldwide efforts against AMR, though relatively perfunctory answers were given. However, these are all relevant issues to consider as we move forward, and should be addressed as future action plans and initiatives are developed.
As Dr. Patel remarked during the panel discussion, we need to start using the term “untreatable infections” because that is the reality of many of these cases. Common, treatable infections are becoming more and more difficult to resolve, especially in the hospital setting. This is why it is more important than ever to have “political will,” as Dr. Andriukaitis put it, as the foundation of new and ongoing initiatives to contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Supportive regulatory agencies and leaders not only provide programmatic focus but also lend to perceptions of the credibility and importance of an issue. With the cooperation of governments both domestically and internationally, we can only hope to have some impact on the dispersal of drug-resistant pathogens in the near future.