why should i care about amr?

resistant infections are becoming more common and undermining modern medicine. infections and injuries that were once easily treatable are becoming more dangerous and killing once again.

we also need antibiotics to prevent infection when we are vulnerable. without working antibiotics, routine cancer treatments and surgery like hip replacements would no longer be possible, and minor injuries from accidents could become infected become life-threatening along with common illnesses like diarrhoea.

fungal infections in crops may become uncontrollable, threatening our food security and treatments for viruses like hiv, or parasites like the once which cause malaria won’t work as well anymore.

people are already dying from drug-resistant infections, and as more drugs stop working, more lives will be put in danger.[1]

the most well-known exammple of amr is the evolution of resistance to antibiotics. this is why your doctor will advise you to be careful to finish a course of antibiotics, or advise that they cannot prescribe antibiotics when they believe you to have a viral infection.