World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2021
To mark the start of World Antibiotic Awareness Week, APUA celebrates its co-founder, Prof. Stuart B. Levy, a pioneer in the field of antibiotic resistance.
Prof. Levy was researching and raising awareness of antibiotic resistance long before the term 'superbugs' was coined.
His 1976 prospective farm study showing that antibiotic resistance elements can be transferred from intestinal flora of farm animals to workers was a breakthrough,demonstrating that the use of antibiotics as livestock growth-enhancers was a dangerous practice with significant risks to clinical care.
He championed the prudent use of antibiotics and wrote the landmark book, “The Antibiotic Paradox: ‘How Miracle Drugs Are Destroying the Miracle’" in 1992. It is now in its second edition and translated into four languages.
He co-founded the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics to advocate for the proper use of antibiotics in 1981. 2021 marks 40 years of fighting AMR for APUA.
You can find out more about the trailblazer, who leaves a strong legacy, in the APUA tribute newsletter, published in 2019, shortly after his passing.
World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2020
To acknowledge World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2020, APUA Board members have recorded a series of short, informative videos on antibiotic resistance (AMR) during COVID-19.
Unfortunately, AMR has been largely neglected during the pandemic and these videos hope to raise awareness of AMR.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Each year, at least 700,000 people die from drug-resistant infections and it is estimated that by 2050, this will rise to 10 million people annually.
