Beating bugs TOGETHER

摘要

One of Public Health England's (PHE) seven priorities in protecting and improving the UK's health is to tackle antimicrobial resistance (PHE, 2014). The UK five-year antimicrobial resistance strategy from the Department of Health (2013) outlines seven key areas for future action, one of which includes improving the knowledge and understanding of antimicrobial resistance by educating the public. A new scheme sets out to support these priorities by offering education on these topics. Led by PHE, e-Bug is an international health education resource for children on hygiene, infection and antibiotics. The overall aim of the tool is to reduce the incidence of antibiotic resistance across Europe by increasing understanding about microbes, hygiene, infection prevention and antibiotic use in young people, who represent their future prescribers and antibiotic users. It has been found that 70% of all antibiotics are prescribed in the community (PHE, 2016), while 50% of these are thought to be unnecessary or inappropriate.