UN Pledges to Fight Antibiotic Resistance in Historic Agreement

Overuse of antibiotics and outright abuse have contributed to some bacteria adapting resistance to common drugs. The UN General Assembly is tackling the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs as a priority: “The U.N.'s declaration requires countries to come up with a two-year a plan to protect the potency of antibiotics,” reports Michaeleen Doucleff for NPR. Common infections like pneumonia have become more difficult to treat. The problem goes beyond health with a UK report suggesting that the costs of allowing antibiotic resistance to continue could be up to $100 trillion in less than four decades. Food supplies could also be at risk as factory farms rely on antibiotics to promote fast growth and protect health of livestock in close quarters. The declaration does not set firm targets, but is expected to raise public awareness similar to earlier campaigns that emphasized HIV prevention worldwide. – YaleGlobal