The Prince of Wales has warned that “urgent” action is needed to tackle the global threat of superbugs to protect future generations.
Prince William appealed to experts and government ministers gathered at the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) conference at the Royal Society in central London to act for the benefit of us all.
He said the world was at a “critical juncture” where the link between antimicrobial resistance and climate change cannot be ignored.
“Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens our health, environment, livelihoods and future,” he said.
“It is indiscriminate and affects all countries and all income levels… making infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, and making medical procedures and treatments even more risky.
“If we don’t act together now, the ripple effects of drug resistance will be transmitted through generations, putting the well-being of our children and grandchildren at risk.”
AMR kills 12,000 people each year in the UK
The conference, called ‘The World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency’, was co-hosted by governments and the Royal Society and brought together experts from around the world to celebrate and showcase the latest research.
This comes after the Government announced an £85m package to support the global fight against the growing threat of AMR.
AMR, also known as superbugs, is a bacterial infection that has evolved immunity to the drugs used to treat it. Common infections include MRSA, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.
Bacteria develop this defense as a result of overexposure to drugs, allowing them to adapt. Infections that were previously easily treated with antibiotics can become deadly when drug-resistant strains develop.
Antibiotic infections kill as many people in Europe each year as influenza, HIV and tuberculosis combined, European health officials have revealed in a recent study. It is estimated that 12,000 people die each year in the UK from AMR infections, and around 1.2 million worldwide.
With few new antibiotics being produced and existing drugs becoming increasingly ineffective, experts say the long-term threat to the public may be less than the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The house is concerned.
“Silent pandemic”
Antimicrobial resistance has been called a ‘silent pandemic’ and the cause has been a topic of concern for several years, after a conversation with Dame Sally Davies, the UK’s former chief medical officer and now the UK’s special envoy on antimicrobial resistance. He said he cared “passionately.” (AMR).
A Kensington Palace source said that while the heir to the throne felt the issue was one that everyone should be concerned about, he also recognized that it was not widely understood at the moment.
He hopes lending his name to the issue will raise public awareness.
Last July, the prince sponsored an appeal to create the Fleming Initiative, named after penicillin discoverer Sir Alexander Fleming, which aims to bring together AMR experts to drive change. It became.
Thursday’s speech marked the first time he has spoken publicly about the issue.
“We are at a critical juncture where we cannot ignore the interrelationships between antimicrobial resistance, climate change and environmental degradation,” he said.
“Rivers are being polluted with antibiotics and oceans are filled with microplastics containing resistant bacteria. Meanwhile, deforestation is wreaking havoc on ecosystems and facilitating the emergence of new infectious diseases. ”
But he said he is hopeful that AMR can be overcome, especially as the scale of the threat is better understood.
“New technologies, including AI, offer us important new opportunities to improve surveillance and diagnostics,” he added.
“And with the right kind of investment and policy, we can encourage innovation and research into new vaccines, diagnostics and medicines.”
Use of antibiotics in animals
As the prince gradually rose to prominence on the world stage, he decided to become a representative of the cause. He will play a key role in relation to the government’s priorities.
A key issue promoting antimicrobial resistance is that the same antibiotics used to treat humans are also widely used in large doses in livestock to aid growth.
This valuable treatment is commonly used in some countries as a “growth promoter” to help chickens and pigs grow as large as possible, and further neutralizes antibiotics.
Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said: “The global death toll from AMR is already reaching nearly 5 million people a year.
“This includes more than 250,000 children in developing countries, half of them within the first month of life.”
Treasurer Jeremy Hunt said: “Since serving as Health Secretary, I have been deeply concerned about the threat of antimicrobial resistance to the UK and the world.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has provided conclusive evidence that national borders are ignored in health emergencies.
“That’s why I’m proud that the UK continues to play a vital role in bringing countries together to tackle emerging global health threats, and this important funding package , demonstrating our commitment to eradicating antimicrobial resistance.”