UK calls for global action on antibiotic resistance

Representatives from the Department of Health have addressed the global health community to call for unified action against the "catastrophic threat" posed by antimicrobial resistance.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt and chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies have led a delegation to the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week to highlight the growing problem of fewer medicines to treat the soaring number of antibiotic-resistant infections.

During the event, the UK government highlighted the efforts it is making to tackle the issue, such as improving understanding and surveillance of antibiotic prescribing in order to ensure existing antimicrobials remain effective.

It will also be supporting the development of new treatments by working more closely with regulatory bodies, the World Health Organization and the EU.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We need stronger international partnerships and coalitions so that the threat of antimicrobial resistance is fully recognised and the responsibility for reducing it is shared.

Last month, Public Health England highlighted figures showing that there were 800 laboratory reports of enterobacteriaceae producing carbapenemase enzymes to spread resistance to carbapenem antibiotics, compared to only three reports in 2003.