- The UN predicts that antibiotic-resistant infections could kill 10 million people globally by 2050.
- Former chancellor, George Osborne in 2016 warned that apart from the consequences for human health, there will be an ‘enormous economic cost’ predicting a global reduction in GDP up to 3.5 per cent – a cumulative cost of US$100 trillion by 2050.
- England’s CMO Dame Sally Davies says that “the threat of antibiotic resistance is as great as that from climate change and should be given as much attention from politicians and the public.”
Both antibiotics and antiseptics have been found to contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). New studies by Public Health England show that antiseptics trigger tolerance mechanisms in bacteria, which cause the bacteria to become permanently resistant to both antiseptics and antibiotics and these changes occur within days, not years (Wand et al. 2017; Shepherd et al. 2018). Antiseptics therefore create resistant strains within the individual patients, leaving these patients resistant to an array of antiseptics and antibiotics. They furthermore accelerate the development and spread of resistant strains in hospitals and in the environment as these highly stable compounds often are released into nature. The compounds get into rivers, such as the Thames and the Danube via waste as well as leaks from water treatment plants, considerably increasing the risk of spread of AMR. Simultaneously, data show that they profoundly change the local ecosystem, affecting e.g. fish, invertebrates and algae.
The spread of AMR calls for the development of new antibiotics. Data indicate that the more frequently an antibiotic is used the quicker bacteria will develop resistance to it. Superior strategies to antibiotics for fighting infection in certain parts of the body have been identified and their use will consequently reduce the use of antibiotics in these conditions. Using alternative strategies will therefore be a highly effective contribution to preserving the efficacy of the antibiotics. MPPT has been proven to be superior to both antibiotics and antiseptics in the treatment of wound infections, it is effective against resistant infections and it will not contribute to AMR. It is therefore a very good example of using an alternative strategy, which will preserve the efficacy of antibiotics, which was also pointed out by the UK CMO, Dame Sally Davies regarding MPPT and how it supports the immune system:
“Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is an escalating global threat that puts millions of lives across the world in danger. We cannot rely on the development of new antibiotics alone to mitigate this threat. We need better preventative measures as well as alternative treatments, including innovative ways to use the body’s own immune system and healthy bacteria. I am proud to say the UK are leaders in research into this area.”
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