July 2023
Newsletter
Issue 22
Welcome to the July issue of our newsletter
Did you know that in the last year our website pages containing information about penicillin allergy were viewed over 500 times? While the majority of enquiries to our Patient Support Service continue to be about UTI’s (60%), the number of enquiries about antibiotic allergies is growing (15% so far in 2023).
If you would like more information about penicillin allergy, you can click here
July Newsletter highlights include:
Our planning has already started for this global awareness week organised by The World Health Organisation. This year’s WHO theme is Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together, highlighting that we all have a role to play. If you are planning activities during World AMR Awareness Week, please get in touch to see how we can help.
Step Up Challenge Update
We were delighted that so many people ‘stepped-up’ in May to raise £1,400 for Antibiotic Research UK by climbing virtual mountains! From Alison who scaled the Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajökull by climbing the steps at the side of a motorway bridge over the M60 in Manchester, to Samia who scaled Mount Etna by climbing steps on Portsmouth front – everyone embraced the fact that when it comes to AMR, we’ve got a mountain to climb!
Although the Step-Up Challenge focus is May, you can climb your own mountain to raise money to tackle antibiotic resistance any time of the year. For more information, visit here.
Research Update
Improving outcomes for patients with Necrotising Otitis Externa (ear infection) in the UK
Lead researcher: Dr Monique Andersson, Consultant in Clinical Infection & Senior Lecturer Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & University of Oxford.
This project has been supported with £50,000 of funding.
Preventing infant blindness using a non-antibiotic alternative.
Lead researcher – Prof Lori Snyder, Microbiology & Genomics, University of Kingston. This is a 12-month project nearing completion.
This project has been supported with £25,000 of funding.
Help fund vital research
Please donate today to help fund vital education and research projects to combat antibiotic resistance and support patients.
Antibiotic resistance in the news:
The AMR Insights website brings together a variety of publications such as research papers, reviews and more, that inform on the many aspects of AMR. Visit their page here for information on what antibiotics are currently being developed, how bacteriophages can help ensure food safety, and much more.
Children face specific risks from antimicrobial resistance – for example, children mortality from AMR-associated infections affects children disproportionately compared to adults. However, the UK’s AMR strategy does not recognise them as a distinct patient group. Read on for details on what needs to change here.
In a recent ecological study, the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was compared to the availability of proper Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. Access to better WASH was linked to lower levels of ARGs – read more here.
New corporate partnerships program launches
We are calling on businesses to put antibiotic resistance on their risk register and help protect modern medicine through our new corporate program. Corporate partnerships manager Samia Burridge (above) shares on this blog what businesses can expect, connections to environmental and social sustainability, and welcomes our first corporate supporters.
A big thank you!
A big thank you to Swansea RAG who gave a presentation recently to a local Probus Club and raised £220 in donations. If you work at a university or are a student and want to get involved, visit our online Student Hub.