(CI) Director General Amanda Long outlines why antibiotic resistance is such an important issue, the role global fast food chains have in tackling it and what CI Members are doing around the world to campaign for #AntibioticsOffTheMenu.
Every week brings a fresh story about the threat to human health from growing antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization has warned that we face a post-antibiotic era, in which we no longer have effective treatment against bacterial infections. If urgent action is not taken to tackle antibiotic resistance we could face a future where common infections and minor injuries can kill again.
Antibiotic resistance is driven by overuse of existing medicines. With over half of the world's antibiotics being consumed by animals, antibiotics in farming is a major contributing factor. Despite this, the use of antibiotics in agriculture is predicted to grow by two thirds: from 63,200 tons in 2010 to 105,600 tons in 2030.
