What is antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs, like bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. Antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global public health threat that is estimated to cause more than 1.27 million deaths around the world and nearly 35,000 deaths in the United States each year.
What can we do to prevent antimicrobial resistance?
Preventing infections in the first place is our first line of defense against antimicrobial resistance. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation, vaccination coverage, and access to quality health care can prevent infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. Improving appropriate antibiotic and antifungal use is also critical. Appropriate use of antibiotic and antifungal drugs helps improve patient outcomes by optimizing the treatment of infections, avoiding drug-related side effects, and slowing the development of antimicrobial resistance.