The earth is warming up and this is largely due to human activities. The upward trend in global temperature is predicted to have huge, negative consequences for us and the environment in the future. The seriousness of the situation has forced many governments to devise and implement measures to handle the looming threat, but there is still a lot of work to do.
Anthropogenic climate change is one important problem, but there is another big challenge I think hasn’t received as much publicity as climate change. That’s anthropogenic antimicrobial resistance. I know the dire situation has been brought before international panels and individual governments, but I think more needs to be said and done on the matter. The worrying pandemic of antimicrobial misuse, abuse and underuse is driving the evolution of AMR on a global scale. Its not news to some, but for the others I am sorry to say that bacteria have evolved resistance to every antibiotic we have in store. Even the great and mighty colistin has been defeated and the gene that confers resistance to that antibiotic is everywhere the experts have looked and is most likely in those places (like my country) where they haven’t looked.
The world is now a small place due to globalization. It is now extremely easy for resistant microbes to move from their sources to other parts of the world and in some cases start terrible outbreaks. The most terrifying part is that we have nothing in place to stop this dissemination. Falling sick following infection by a resistant pathogen could aid detection by local health authorities and can help stop international transmission. However, people carrying resistant bugs could remain in good health long enough to spread the resistant bugs to others or contaminate the environmental with them.
We are slowly approaching the post-antimicrobial era and if we don’t do anything to avert the global evolution of AMR, then we shall return to the dark ages where simple cuts and bruises could leave your life hanging on a thin piece of thread.