Global Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative

Experts from around the world have joined to combat the rapidly increasing antimicrobial resistance. The International Forum for Antibiotic Resistance (IFAR) has completed a Global White Paper on Bacterial Resistance in Community-Acquired Respiratory Tract Infections as a prelude to the 41st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago (IL, USA).

The Global White Paper was prepared by infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and the International Alliance of Patients Organizations. Community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a major public health concern, yet existing antimicrobials are becoming increasingly ineffective against even the most common causes of infections. One study involving 23 countries showed that 40% of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from patients with RTIs were resistant to penicillin and 28% were resistant to macrolides. Lower RTIs, such as pneumonia, are the leading cause of death in developing regions and the fourth leading cause of death in developed regions.

The paper calls for four key actions. The first is for global research to quantify the true impact of resistance in patients with community-acquired RTIs. The second calls for organizations responsible for resistance control to control the factors driving bacterial resistance, including antibiotic use. The third calls for education on the significance of resistance and on optimal antibiotic usage for RTIs, while the fourth calls for patient involvement in measures to control resistance.

"Despite numerous international and national recommendations for resistance control, few large-scale interventions have been implemented and audited and little has been accomplished in the fight against resistant bacteria,” noted Prof. Roger G. Finch, president of the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and a co-editor of the paper.