Antibiotics: A Treasure to Protect

          Antibiotics, which have saved so many human lives, are now in grave danger. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is ever-increasing. It is estimated that this resistance, largely due to the amount of antibiotics used, is now responsible for more than 25,000 deaths in Europe, and 23,000 in the USA every year. Yet the consumption rate of antibiotics is ever-increasing in most countries.

          (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140620/693578 )

          Furthermore, very few new antibiotics have come onto the market in the past few years, and very few are expected to in the near future. This dire shortage of effective antibiotics is therefore a major public health issue.

          Urgent action is needed to try to safeguard antibiotics which are currently effective, as well as to try to find new ones. Without immediate and collaborative action, some infections are quickly going to become impossible to treat, and some procedures (transplants, treatment which lowers immunity, major surgery, etc.) will become too risky to undertake. Some nosocomial and urban infections are already linked to multi-resistant bacteria, and thus treatment being unsuccessful.

          Headed by Dr Jean Carlet (a former therapist specialising in nosocomial infections and antibiotic resistance), the "World Alliance Against Antibiotic Resistance" (WAAAR) was founded two-and-a-half years ago to raise as much awareness as possible about the urgency and serious risk posed, as well as to co-ordinate European and international dialogue about implementing effective solutions.

          An international group of 700 people from 55 different countries who represent all of the key players of the healthcare sector, supported by 140 learned societies across the world, the Alliance is officially publishing its declaration today.

          The declaration and ten recommendations for action to safeguard the effectiveness of antibiotics and to stabilise the bacterial ecosystem are available here:  

          http://www.thedesk.fr/actualites/the-waaar-declaration-against-antibiotic-resistance

          In order to disseminate its Declaration, WAAAR is seizing the opportunity to have a signed resolution about the programme accepted during the Annual General Meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

          Source: World Alliance Against Antibiotic Resistance (WAAAR)