Antibiotic Research UK has announced a five-point action plan to tackle antibiotic resistance in the UK.
The call to action was announced by Chief Executive of Antibiotic Research UK, Professor Colin Garner, at the charity’s 2017 Annual Lecture. The plan focuses on what can be done in the UK to tackle antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic Research UK is calling for:
- The formation of a GRAND ALLIANCE consisting of the UK government, the pharmaceutical industry, collective medical research charities, academics and the public to produce a strategic costed plan, to a) reduce antibiotic resistance in hospitals and the community b) reduce the use of antibiotics in farming c) reduce the level of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment and d) see the introduction of at least five new antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria by 2030.The Government to appoint a single cross- department Minister to be in overall charge of the drug resistant infection Agenda and strategy.
Professor Colin Garner, Chief Executive of Antibiotic Research UK, and Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England
- Regional antibiotic resistance registers be created in the same way that regional cancer registers are already implemented. Currently, we do not know the true morbidity or mortality of antibiotic resistance. Until we have the baseline data, we don’t know if any interventions have had an impact.
- The government to introduce, with immediate effect, a re-imbursement model for pharmaceutical companies so that they can recommence their antibiotic drug development programmes. The pharmaceutical industry has a broad range of expertise which would allow it to develop and market new antibiotics.
- The Third Sector to be part of the resistance solution and must be allowed to apply for government funding. There are a number of government funding schemes for AMR research but a charity cannot apply directly to such schemes. The rules need to be amended accordingly
- The creation of a £100 million UK Antibiotic Discovery Fund with monies supplied from government, the pharmaceutical industry, and medical charities. The pharmaceutical funding could be a quid pro quo for arranging a new reimbursement model.
Chief Executive of Antibiotic Research UK, Professor Colin Garner, said: “As Dame Sally Davies, England’s Chief Medical Officer, noted last week, tangible action has been far too slow and we need to “up the ante”. The charity’s five-point plan outlines a realistic and holistic strategy that governments, charities, pharmaceutical companies, academics and the public can all support to accelerate the fight against AMR.”
Professor Garner added: “The UK has led the world in highlighting the problem of antibiotic resistance primarily through the efforts of the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies. Her input resulted in the formation of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill. The final report from the AMR review team was published in May 2016 and although the Government published its response in September of that year there has been very little real change particularly in relation to funding to find new antibiotics. Our five-point Action Plan calls on all stakeholders to work much more closely together.”
You can help us achieve this action plan by writing a letter with these 5 action points to your local MP, and highlighting the importance of putting a plan in place to prevent antibiotic resistance increasing. To find out how to contact your local MP, visit: http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/