Increasing antimicrobial resistance could lead to “at least” 10 million deaths each year and the problem could "kill us before climate change does”, the UK government’s outgoing chief medical advisor, Professor Dame Sally Davies told Sky News. The overuse of the drugs, vital to fighting infection, has given rise to so-called superbugs against which conventional medicines are ineffective. The report by a panel of experts from around the world was published on Tuesday in London, with its findings expected to be discussed at an international conference next week in Paris. The UK has made significant progress over the past five years, Dame Sally noted, cutting antibiotic use in animals by 40% and by 91% in chickens.
Increasing antimicrobial resistance could lead to “at least” 10 million deaths each year and the problem could "kill us before climate change does”, the UK government’s outgoing chief medical advisor, Professor Dame Sally Davies told Sky News. The report by a panel of experts from around the world was published on Tuesday in London, with its findings expected to be discussed at an international conference next week in Paris. The UK has made significant progress over the past five years, Dame Sally noted, cutting antibiotic use in animals by 40% and by 91% in chickens.