Researchers and peer call for new UK approach to fungal antimicrobial resistance
The UK needs new policies to tackle the threat of fungal antimicrobial resistance, argues a new perspective paper led by SoGE DPhil researcher Abi Brown in partnership with House of Lords peer Baroness Natalie Bennett.
In a similar way to antibiotic resistance, widespread antifungal use on farms is contributing to resistance in healthcare settings - for example, “dual-use” fungicides used in medicine are also applied to 94% of UK arable crops. Resistance leads to worse health outcomes, and fungal infections currently kill around 2.5 million people a year globally.
Writing in Nature NPJ Antimicrobials and Resistance, the multi-disciplinary expert team recommend:
- A new "One Health" approach led by a cross-government body on fungal resistance;
- A national clinical and environmental surveillance system, and;
- Risk assessments for resistance in fungicide regulation.
The policy changes, the authors argue, can address fragmented governance, surveillance and regulation to tackle a growing threat to the UK’s human health as well as agricultural productivity. The full paper, “Addressing the Dual-Use of Antifungals and Fungal Antimicrobial Resistance (fAMR) through a One Health Approach”, is open-access and can be read here.
"It's vital that we safeguard both clinical therapies and agricultural fungicides from fungal antimicrobial resistance. Without urgent and coordinated action to protect essential antifungals, we risk both patient’s lives and food security."
Researchers and peer call for new UK approach to fungal antimicrobial resistance
The UK needs new policies to tackle the threat of fungal antimicrobial resistance, argues a new perspective paper led by SoGE DPhil researcher Abi Brown in partnership with House of Lords peer Baroness Natalie Bennett.
