Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been described by the World Health Organization as “one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity”. Bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics will result in infections that are harder to treat, greater patient morbidity (through increased severity of infection, prolonged hospital stay etc) and higher rates of mortality. A 2016 review commissioned by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust reported that AMR could result in 10 million deaths per year by 2050. The current worldwide estimates are 700,000 deaths per year from resistant infections, of which 200,000 are newborns. The greatest cause of selective pressures driving AMR has been identified as the increasing global demand for antibiotics, a reflection of excessive prescribing without justifiable medical need. Children in particular are at greater risk of multidrug resistant infections. To clarify the terminology, antibiotics refer to medications used to treat bacterial infections whereas antimicrobials has a broader definition encompassing medications used to treat bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
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