Two recent news articles cover some new attempts at curbing antimicrobial resistance.
The first discusses Kaiser’s ban on 13 different antimicrobials that are commonly used on surfaces, like fabrics and finishes. Although this change will only affect future facilities, it is a step forward in reducing sources of antimicrobial resistance. This is especially important in hospitals, which provide a perfect storm of conditions for resistant genes to spread and infect susceptible people.
On a more global scale, the UK and China are starting a fund of £1 billion to encourage research on antimicrobial resistance. In these two countries, death tolls are reaching tens of thousands per year. As deaths are only projected to continue increasing, our world requires a more permanent and sustainable solution to resistance that doesn’t involve just attempting to produce more antimicrobials. Hopefully the funded research will yield some good solutions to this problem.