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Antimicrobial Resistance
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In January 2001 the Federal Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial
Resistance (participating agencies include the DoD, CDC, FDA,
NIH, and USAID) released A Public Health Action Plan to Combat
Antimicrobial Resistance (Part I Domestic Issues). On June
26, 2002 the Task Force released for public review the first
annual report of progress made under the Plan. Click
here for a PDF version of the report. Click
here for the summary of the public meeting on Part II
(Global Issues) of the plan (pdf
version of the summary). A list
of the programs for which DoD is wholly or partially responsible
is also available.
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The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria,
viruses, and other disease causing organisms is threatening our
ability to combat infectious diseases on a global level. Through
the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials and the natural evolution
of pathogenic organisms, the world’s weapons against these
organisms are decreasing in power. Secondarily, we are seeing escalating
costs of infectious diseases in mortality, morbidity and disability,
and health care dollars. The full scope of the resistance problem
is still largely unknown, due in part to shortcomings in existing
anitmicrobial resistance surveillance activities and a lack of standardized
laboratory methodologies. We are also experiencing a lagging production
of new classes of antimicriobials to replace those that have lost
effectiveness due to resistance. This, largely a result of complacency
toward continued reliance on existing antibiotics, generated by
early successes with antimicrobials in the control of infectious
diseases. As the effectiveness of existing antimicrobials continues
to diminish, we must clearly define the magnitude of the resistance
problem and its global impact through comprehensive surveillance,
identify effective prevention and control measures, and stimulate
basic research and product development of new antimicrobial drugs
and other products designed to prevent or control infectious diseases.
DoD GEIS Central Hub point of contact for antimicrobial resistance
is CDR Clara Witt, DoD GEIS, WRAIR, Washington, DC 20307-5100, e-mail
address: Victor.MacIntosh@NA.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL
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