England’s Chief Medical Officer has today warned about the threat posed by AntiMicrobial Resistance, and to urge world leaders to tackle the growing problem.

Professor Sally Davies, England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), has told the Today programme at least 25,000 people a year die in Europe due to drug-resistant infections. She warned that the modern healthcare system is heavily dependent on antibiotics, and that routine operations, such as caesarean sections and cancer treatments, could become far riskier without a source of reliable antibiotics.

She added that more antibiotics need to be developed, and is urging global leaders at an international health summit in Berlin today, to come together to tackle the problem.

Dr. Peter Jackson, Executive Chairman of The AMR Centre, is also attending the Berlin summit, and has welcomed the “call to action” by the CMO. He commented:

“The AMR Centre, a public-private partnership, is a key component of the UK’s response to the threat from antimicrobial resistance.  We have established new translational capacity to fast track novel therapeutics and diagnostics through pre-clinical research and development into clinical trials.  We partner with SMEs, research institutes and pharma companies to co-develop their innovative treatments targeting diseases caused by “KAPE” pathogens on the WHO’s “critical” priority list.

By 2022 we aim to have delivered at least 5 new programs ready for clinical development, with at least one achieving clinical proof of concept.  We will do this by working with public and private organisations in the UK to secure funding, build capacity and access expert, specialist capability, and by coordination and collaboration with international partners to leverage global resources to help provide new treatment options for patients suffering from drug-resistant infections.”