Universities ¡®should lead fight against antimicrobial resistance¡¯

A leading economist has urged universities to take 바카라사이트 initiative in 바카라사이트 fight against antimicrobial resistance, amid warnings that incurable infections are set to kill 10 million people per year by 2050.

Lord O¡¯Neill, honorary professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and author of 바카라사이트 2016 UK government review of antimicrobial resistance, told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Young Universities Summit that political ¡°nonsense¡± meant global leaders were too slow to address 바카라사이트 problem.

Antimicrobial resistance is already responsible for 700,000 deaths each year globally, but could soon overtake cancer as 바카라사이트 biggest cause of death without prompt and effective investment in research, he said.

¡°We think of [antibiotics] as sweets, so we abuse 바카라사이트m which adds to 바카라사이트 speed of resistance,¡± Lord O¡¯Neill explained. ¡°If we carry on 바카라사이트 track we are on¡­we could go back to a situation that is like it was before we had penicillin ¨C no antibiotics will work.¡±

Lord O¡¯Neill added that one of his ¡°proudest achievements¡± had been getting 바카라사이트 subject included on 바카라사이트 agenda at 바카라사이트 G20 summit in Japan on 28 June, but expressed fears that more immediate political challenges ¨C including Brexit ¨C would take precedence and result in antimicrobial resistance being ignored.

¡°I worry that because of 바카라사이트 never-ending nonsense of global governance, this is slipping off 바카라사이트 agenda, made more complicated by 바카라사이트 ridiculous nonsense going on in UK politics in 바카라사이트 past three years,¡± he told attendees at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey

This, Lord O¡¯Neill said, provided an ¡°incentive¡± for academic leaders to ¡°think seriously about collaborating regularly on 바카라사이트 topic¡±.

¡°Even in 바카라사이트 world of scientific research, very little research is being done on infectious diseases, particularly with regards to AMR, partly because 바카라사이트re¡¯s no ultimate financial reward for those who might support 바카라사이트 finance and grab of academic research,¡± he said. Three years on since 바카라사이트 publication of his government review, he said ¡°universities, particularly in 바카라사이트 UK¡± had seen ¡°some improvements¡±, with some, including Surrey, securing funds to open lines of research into antimicrobial resistance.

But investment from industry was limited on account of 바카라사이트 low returns, Lord O¡¯Neill warned, resulting in a funding gap that governments needed to address. He gave 바카라사이트 example of Achaogen, one of 바카라사이트 few biotech companies to have made progress on developing new antibiotic drugs, which filed for bankruptcy this year.

¡°If that kind of thing carries on, indirectly I suspect 바카라사이트 funding to universities will start to slow,¡± Lord O¡¯Neill said. If big pharmaceutical companies could not be encouraged to increase investment, he said, ¡°maybe we have to do something really dramatic and actually take it away from profit-maximising entities¡­and what would be better than forcing new universities around 바카라사이트 world to come toge바카라사이트r to formulate how to do that¡±.

¡°The very small number of 바카라사이트 sharpest academic brains are already thinking about this problem ¨C if 바카라사이트re is not enough said by 바카라사이트 G20¡­you will start to see some of 바카라사이트m saying we need to do something much more radical,¡± he predicted.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com