In the run up to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June 2013, the Royal Society has worked in partnership with the national science academies of the other G8 member states and five other science academies to produce this statement that will sent to the participating governments as an input to the summit’s negotiations.
People are increasingly being infected with resistant pathogens, and more and more often the drugs used to treat them, such as antibiotics, are not working. The academies also warn that the number of multi-drug-resistant infections acquired in hospital settings is on the rise. The academies recommend a more considered approach to current and future drugs, with strategies defined in guidelines issued by each G8 member, in order to ensure that these drugs remain effective for longer.