But alongside this wider agenda is a long list of urgently needed policies which joined-up government must implement fast. GPs must be trained to use antibiotics more sparingly, and there must be research in how to target their use precisely. It is a depressing echo of the BSE saga. MAFF has not learned the lesson that it cannot simply represent the interests of farmers, but has a responsibility to consumers too which cannot be abandoned until the new food standards agency is up and running. We want Nick Brown to announce a ban on antibiotics used as growth promoters, phasing it in if necessary for the benefit of farmers.
Globalisation has huge health implications in the light of our interdependence as a species.
In the long term, the only way to secure our health will be by improving health standards right across the globe.