Introducing AMR Action UK

The AMR challenge

Drug resistant infections, generally known as AMR, are a massive and growing problem in the UK, but with little public awareness of the devastating impact they have on the lives of those affected.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics. It is already a significant health issue, and the impact is predicted to grow exponentially in the years ahead. In 2019, bacterial infections were the 2nd leading cause of death in the UK with 87,500 fatalities – around 50% were associated with drug resistance and it is known that numbers continue to climb.

Although AMR is likely to reach crisis point in the next few years, there is almost no public awareness of the devastating impact it has on the lives of those affected, and the actions that politicians and NHS systems need to take to reverse this trend. AMR Action UK intends to address this problem, making sure that people have the information they need to hold policy-makers and healthcare systems to account ad that change happens before it is too late.

AMR is a global problem as resistant infections spread easily across borders. There are many aspects of AMR that require long-term actions across governments, NGO’s and health systems across the globe, as well as long-term research into the development of new antibiotics and alternative treatments. AMR Action UK is focussed on the changes that can happen NOW, in all four nations of the United Kingdom. These changes will prevent avoidable harm from antimicrobial resistance, like preventing people catching “superbugs”, and ensuring they get the treatment they need in a timely way to reduce harm – preventing life-changing damage to health that leave people living with chronic conditions and preventing unnecessary deaths.