Antimicrobial resistance is hardly a term that trips off the tongue but it is one we are all going to have to get to grips with.
In an exclusive interview this week with our new global health reporter Kat Lay, Dame Sally Davies, the UK’s special envoy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warned that the rise of these drug-resistant superbugs could make the Covid pandemic look “minor”.
Inevitably, those who will bear the brunt include many of the countries being hit hardest by the climate crisis, in yet another example of this intersection between health and the environment. One death in five caused by AMR is a child aged under five, usually in sub-Saharan Africa, where Davies said the problem is “particularly prevalent and disastrous”. You can see the impact of AMR in your country here and we will be closely following developments around the topic.
In September, the UN will hold a high-level meeting on the issue and the UN Global Leaders Group on AMR, which Davies is a member of, will be pushing for a range of targets to tackle the problem. Our global health reporter will be on the case.
Max Benato, deputy editor, Foundations and Philanthropic Projects
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