Some doctors have warned for years that antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria will become a serious problem, due in part to the over-prescription of antibiotics and their improper use. On Monday, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said this is now a “catastrophic threat.”
“Global action is needed to tackle the catastrophic threat of antimicrobial resistance, which in 20 years could see any one of us dying following minor surgery,” Davies said, according to a health department press release.
The warning comes with her annual Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) report.
Doctors are discovering new diseases at a much faster rate than new ways to treat them. The report highlights a “discovery void” over the past two decades when it comes to developing antibiotics.
Her recommendations include better disease prevention, more conservative and closely monitored use of existing antibiotics, a continued focus on developing new antibiotics, and close watch over infectious disease and treatment among livestock.
Davies said that, “Governments and organizations across the world, including the World Health Organization and G8, need to take this seriously.”
