The United Nations and the Urgent Need for Coordinated Global Action in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: Helen W. Boucher, Johan S. Bakken, Barbara E. Murray
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Ideas and Opinions6 December 2016The United Nations and the Urgent Need for Coordinated Global Action in the Fight Against Antimicrobial ResistanceHelen W. Boucher, MD, Johan S. Bakken, MD, PhD, and Barbara E. Murray, MDHelen W. Boucher, MDFrom Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, Minnesota; and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas., Johan S. Bakken, MD, PhDFrom Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, Minnesota; and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas., and Barbara E. Murray, MDFrom Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, Minnesota; and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M16-2079 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Rising rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increasingly threaten our ability to provide effective care for life-threatening infections. If this trend goes unchecked, annual deaths attributable to AMR are predicted to reach 10 million by 2050 and will outpace those from cancer, diabetes, diarrheal diseases, and automobile accidents (1).World leaders now acknowledge what infectious diseases physicians have argued for over a decade—inaction is not an option. On 21 September 2016, the United Nations (UN) will hold a high-level meeting on AMR, which is a historic opportunity to drive internationally coordinated efforts to address this urgent issue.Antimicrobial resistance is a ...References1. O'Neill J; Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations. May 2016. Accessed at http://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160525_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf on 25 August 2016. Google Scholar2. Spellberg B, Blaser M, Guidos RJ, Boucher HW, Bradley JS, Eisenstein BI, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Combating antimicrobial resistance: policy recommendations to save lives. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52 Suppl 5:S397-428. [PMID: 21474585] doi:10.1093/cid/cir153 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013. 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Infectious disease expert sees threat from colistin-resistant superbug. JAMA. 2016;316:806-7. [PMID: 27464338] doi:10.1001/jama.2016.9690 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, Minnesota; and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.Acknowledgment: The authors thank Amanda Jezek (Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Infectious Diseases Society of America) and her team for their tireless efforts in responding to the crisis of antimicrobial resistance and assistance in preparing this manuscript.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M16-2079.Corresponding Author: Helen W. Boucher, MD, Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Box 238, Boston, MA 02111; e-mail, [email protected]org.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Boucher: Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Box 238, Boston, MA 02111.Dr. Bakken: St. Luke's Infectious Disease Associates, 920 East First Street, Suite 102, St. Luke's Medical Office Pavilion, Duluth, MN 55802.Dr. Murray: University of Texas Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 1.150, Houston, TX 77030.Author Contributions: Conception and design: H.W. Boucher, B.E. Murray.Analysis and interpretation of the data: H.W. Boucher, J.S. Bakken.Drafting of the article: H.W. Boucher, B.E. Murray.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: H.W. Boucher, J.S. Bakken, B.E. Murray.Final approval of the article: H.W. Boucher, J.S. Bakken, B.E. Murray.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: H.W. Boucher.Collection and assembly of data: H.W. Boucher.This article was published at www.annals.org on 20 September 2016. 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