SAGE Publications ISSN 1757-9139 DOI: 10.1177/1757913911425745 CURRENT TOPICS & OPINIONS

resistance. Dr Girija Dabke, Specialist Registrar in public health and Dr Elizabeth Sheridan, Head of the HPA’s Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Department, look at the important role of public health professionals in raising awareness and ensuring that robust antibiotic policies are in place. The global rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat. Illnesses caused by resistant organisms are often prolonged, with higher risk of death. Resistance to first-line antibiotics leads to use of more expensive and often prolonged treatments, increasing healthcare costs. Resistance is posing a threat to the global control of diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 440,000 ne