America Must Take Aggressive Measures to Deal with Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
ARLINGTON, VA (Oct 13, 2009) - Many once manageable diseases caused by bacteria are increasingly resistant to the drugs that were designed to kill them. “Aggressive measures are needed to address this growing public health threat, including sound surveillance methods; effective education of physicians, other healthcare workers, and the public regarding antibiotic resistance and appropriate use of antibiotics; and stable funding streams,” says the new position statement from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the estimated 90,000 annual deaths from hospital-acquired bacterial infections, approximately 70% are from infections resistant to at least one drug. “Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) has been receiving most of the attention from the media recently,” said ASTHO Executive Director Paul E. Jarris, MD, MBA. “It’s important to remember that this issue also pertains to other diseases such tuberculosis, and malaria.”
Jarris added, “This is an increasingly complicated problem that we are fighting on many fronts. That is why our position statement calls for a multi-pronged response involving robust surveillance, prevention measures, research, and new product development.”
The statement calls for closer tracking of antimicrobial resistance trends, increased education about responsible antimicrobial use, research into best practices, development of novel antibiotics, among other measures. To read the full statement or to learn more about ASTHO’s work with infectious disease policy, visit www.astho.org.
ASTHO Position Statements relate to specific issues that are time sensitive, narrowly defined, or are a further development or interpretation of ASTHO policy. Statements are developed and reviewed by appropriate policy committees and approved by the ASTHO Executive Committee. Position statements are not voted on by the full ASTHO membership.
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About ASTHO
ASTHO is the national non-profit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as the 120,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to assuring excellence in state-based public health practice.
Contact: Paula Steib, 571-527-3173 Mobile 703-439-8259 or psteib@astho.org