The world needs better incentives to combat superbugs - ARIELLE KANE

according to the World Bank.3 The overuse of antibiotics and poor infection If science doesn’t stay ahead of AMR, health control during the height of the COVID-19 care will slide backwards to the days when pandemic may have exacerbated antimicrobial diseases now considered treatable — pneumonia resistance (AMR).4 AMR occurs when bacteria, and skin staph aureus infections — killed viruses, fungi, a. [...] needs to combat these superbugs on development because of poor incentives and a three fronts: lack of investment.8,9 • Curtailing the overuse of antimicrobials in PROBLEM STATEMENT medicine, According to a recent study published in The • Limiting the use of antimicrobials on animals Lancet, in 2019, 1.2 million people died directly and agriculture, and from drug-resistant infections while AMR cont. [...] The CDC reports that worked to develop new products to stay ahead 70% of the bacteria that cause two million of ever-evolving pathogens, the market is not hospital-acquired infections annually are structured in a way that properly incentivizes resistant to at least one antibiotic.15 Although the development and launch of new antibiotics. [...] second-line, and third-line drugs first.24 Incentives Stewardship guidelines To encourage more investment in developing The CDC has an antibiotic stewardship program antimicrobials, policymakers should strengthen to help prescribers “use the right antibiotic, financial incentives and find new ways to pay for at the right dose, for the right duration, and them: at the right time, and reduce unneces. [...] Before the onset without encouraging overuse as drugmakers of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC said it was would be compensated for the innovation on track to meet many of its goals, including rather than the use of their drugs.