Antimicrobial Resistance: Public Health Call to Action

Antimicrobial resistance: what is the public health sector doing to address this increasing threat to the health of the entire world? This is a global threat, not one that impacts just the poor or underdeveloped nations. There appears to be more public recognition of the impact on the public health community, but the question is; has it been validated? Will funding be made available? What progress has been made for prevention and surveillance? Are we all talk and no action? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined the top ten greatest achievements of public heath over the past century. In that list is control of communicable diseases, which includes the discovery, introduction and utilization of antimicrobial agents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). It is currently accepted that the most significant impact on the increase of human life expectancy can be attributed to Public Health practice and its achievements. Despite this, funding for public health practice and preventative measures is meager at best. Currently, fewer than two percent of health care dollars are utilized for Public Health Protection programs and measures. In the early 1900s the principle causes of death were primarily infectious diseases. As we developed preventative measures, medical treatments and experienced decreased incidence, these causes plummeted down the list. Life expectancy increased substantially. However, we are again faced with the threat of increasing impact of infectious diseases on morbidity and human mortality. More microbes are evolving and developing resistance to the defenses that we have built against them. An overview of current public health initiatives as well as the analysis of antimicrobial stewardship programs and their role in prevention and integration into public health leadership will be reviewed and surmised in this report. In addition recommendations for further action will be discussed based on best practices determined in the current literature review.Master of Public Healt