Antibiotic resistance linked to corruption »

Researchers have linked antibiotic resistance with poor governance and corruption around the world. Lead researcher Professor Peter Collignon from The Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine said the increase in antibiotic-resistant infections was one of the greatest threats facing modern medicine. In the United States alone, around 23,000 deaths and two million illnesses each year have been attributed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "We found poor governance and higher levels of corruption are associated with higher levels of antibiotic resistance," he said. "It is a finding that will be surprising to most people in the field of Medicine." Antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global health priority. The World Health Organisation describes it as a looming crisis in which common and treatable infections are becoming life threatening. Professor Collignon said the research suggests that addressing corruption and control of antibiotics could help lower antibiotic resistance and save lives.