ABSTRACT
Antibiotics can be both a necessary and a lifesaving treatment option. However, after years of overuse and misuse of this once miracle drug, we are entering a new era where antibiotics will no longer work to cure infections. There are currently no new antibiotics under development. Antibiotic resistance (ABR), the term used to describe when an antibiotic has lost the ability to kill a bacteria effectively, is a major threat to public health. The consequences of ABR are far-reaching and include for example increased cost of illness through treatment failure and prolonged illnesses. Antibiotics make the treatment of infection possible and as ABR reaches critical levels action is urgently required to address this public health risk.
