It seems no generation is free from war, but its nature seems to be ever more varied compared to the 20th century. Aside from conventional struggles against the likes of the Taliban, or the more conceptual fight against terrorism, according to the Lancet, the Guardian, and even the “war cabinet” of the seven Research Councils, we are now waging a global war against microbes that are increasingly resistant to almost all known forms of anti-biotic.
But when President Xi and Prime Minister Cameron announce greater bilateral collaboration on anti-microbial resistance (AMR) during the state visit, where are we supposed to place this in the ever growing list of priorities for bilateral cooperation? Is it really as important as global security, or poverty eradication? Well, if bacterial infections are by 2050 killing more of us than cancer, as they are predicted to do, then maybe it is something that we should start understanding better.
We have already been working up research proposals with China, and the RCUK announced in Shanghai recently the opening of a £9m call for UK-China joint research proposals to combat AMR. With so many UK authorities on the subject in town, we could not resist bringing them together with a wider Chinese audience and Consulate colleagues for an open forum discussion. SIN, UKTI and the Healthcare team even pooled their resources for tea, coffee and nibbles to keep everyone fortified during the fascinating afternoon discussion.
So how scared should we be about AMR? According to the top academics there, “reasonably” seems to be the answer. Rates of resistance are growing continually within human and animal populations and in the wider environment. There are but a handful of antibiotics that still have broad effectiveness, as well as a few that are the last resort for specific bacteria. But no new antibiotic has been successfully developed for commercial use in the last 28 years. When you think that penicillin was first marketed in the 1940s, we seem close to losing our complete anti-bacterial arsenal in a period of a mere 80 years. Why? Well, one irony is that we rely on the pharmaceutical industry to come up with the goods. But put yourself in their shoes, having to spend billions on developing new drugs that the government then exhorts the public not to use unless absolutely necessary. Where’s the economic sense in that?
But despite the apocalypse theories, there are in fact a whole range of things that we can be doing to wage an effective war against AMR. A lot of these amount to simply reviving old habits towards hygiene, such as washing hands, ensuring cleaner environments, and good practice in animal husbandry, rather than relying on the super-convenient antibiotics that we have taken so much for granted. Surveillance, GP practices, legal frameworks, and pure brilliant disruptive scientific discovery will all play their part.
One way or another, expect to see AMR as a regular headline in the press and global fora from now on. And most importantly, remember that we can all make a meaningful contribution. So now that you have finished your cup of tea whilst reading this, please make sure you wash your hands after the visit to the little room …