[afro-nets] The antibiotic time bomb

["Claudio Schuftan" <cschuftan@phmovement.org>]

Cross-posted from: SciDev.Net <info@scidev.net>

Are antibiotics becoming a 'non-sustainable' drug supply?

With increasing resistance to existing antibiotics ? and little incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in new ones ? developing countries face a serious challenge combating killer diseases such as tuberculosis and typhoid fever.

Read SciDev.Net's new spotlight on antibiotic resistance http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/

SciDev.Net's online resource highlights the need to raise public awareness of the situation and calls on governments to safeguard the future of their populations' health ? by prioritising drug resistance monitoring and educating healthcare workers.

Sponsored by ReAct (Action on Antibiotic Resistance), the resource brings you expert views and information about the scale of the problem, drivers of resistance, the economic implications of growing resistance, diagnostics, and investment into new drugs.

Editorial

Surveillance vital for tackling antibiotic resistance
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/editorials/surveillance-vital-for-tackling-antibiotic-resista.html
International surveillance systems are needed to curb the rise of antibiotic resistance, says Hajo Grundmann.

Features

Antibiotic resistance: Frequently asked questions
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/features/antibiotic-resistance-frequently-asked-questions.html
Priya Shetty answers some common questions surrounding antibiotic resistance, and the dangers for the developing world.

Antibiotic resistance and the developing world
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/features/antibiotic-resistance-and-the-developing-world.html
Many factors are increasing antibiotic resistance, and authorities, doctors and patients all have a role in fighting it, writes Jia Hepeng. 

Opinions

Reducing antibiotics not enough to stem resistance
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/opinions/reducing-antibiotics-not-enough-to-stem-resistance.html
Reducing antibiotic use is not enough to curb the rise of resistance in the developing world, say Zulfiqar A. Bhutta and Syed Rehan Ali.

Antibiotic resistance calls for better diagnostic labs
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/opinions/antibiotic-resistance-calls-for-better-diagnostic-.html
Tackling antibiotic resistance requires well-run diagnostic laboratories, says Pradeep Seth.

Prizes, not prices, to stimulate antibiotic R&D
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/antibiotic-resistance/opinions/prizes-not-prices-to-stimulate-antibiotic-r-d-.html

With the worldwide growth of resistance, new antibiotics are increasingly needed. But R&D can be expensive and time-consuming, says James Love.

SciDev.Net has also collated its coverage of relevant news and links to key background documents and organisations.

Please pass this information on to colleagues and those within your network who will find it of interest. All our material is free to reproduce provided that the author and source are credited.

If you have any comments about this new resource please feel free to contact us by emailing topics@scidev.net

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Claudio Schuftan
mailto:cschuftan@phmovement.org