Combating the Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance: Strategies for Public Health and Patient Safety

Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Class Name: Date when Due: Antimicrobial Resistance Introduction Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most challenging problems in human health today due to its implications on public safety and economic factors. estimates that the global expenditure on antimicrobials is $55 billion annually in the united states, and these drugs are also getting more expensive. Additionally, the problem is becoming increasingly worse due to the increase in drug-resistant infections and the lack of effective therapies for these infections. This leads to increased cost of healthcare because when an infection becomes resistant to antimicrobials, other treatments may crop up, which are costly yet less effective than what was previously used. estimates that around 23, 000 people in USA succumb to antibiotic-resistant infections each year, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Definition Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to withstand the effects of antimicrobial therapies that were previously effective; in other words, the microbe has become immune to that antimicrobial drug. When microbes develop AMR, they demonstrate resistance over time and can no longer respond to medicines that previously treated them. For example, Staphylococcus aureus can cause severe infections in humans by attacking internal organs and the bloodstream. Before the introduction of antibiotics, S. aureus was not conside