"OUR VISION IS TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE ACROSS THE GLOBE."
"OUR VISION IS TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE ACROSS THE GLOBE."
"OUR VISION IS TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE ACROSS THE GLOBE."
AMR-RELATED INFECTIONS KILL NEARLY 700,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR.
THIS NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 10 MILLION BY THE YEAR 2050.
- J. O’Neill (2016). Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: Final report and recommendations. Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.
UNDERSTANDING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
What Are Antimicrobials?
Antimicrobials are powerful medicines that are used to treat and prevent infections caused by dangerous microorganisms. They do this by either killing the agent or halting their growth. Antimicrobials cure life-threatening diseases and enable major surgeries, organ and stem cell transplants, and cancer chemotherapies to save millions of lives each year. Antimicrobials that are specifically used against bacteria are called antibiotics.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
When the microorganisms that cause infection are no longer sensitive to the drugs designed to eliminate them, they are considered "drug-resistant". Drug-resistant infections are difficult and expensive to treat and are often life-threatening.
How Serious is AMR?
Public health agencies around the world consider AMR to be “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today” (The World Health Organization, 2017). Currently, infections resulting from antimicrobial resistance are estimated to kill approximately 700,000 people globally each year.
If no action is taken, this number is expected to rise to a staggering 10 million people by 2050, and cost our global economy $100 trillion US dollars.
How Do We Solve This Problem?
Solutions to the global AMR crisis include the discovery and development of:
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New antibiotics
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New ways to block resistance or enhance antibiotic activity
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Vaccines to prevent disease
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New diagnostics to identify superbugs
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Careful AMR management strategies.
The David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery and it's dedicated partners aim to address the global challenge of AMR through all of these strategies.
OUR PARTNERS
Successfully tackling the AMR challenge requires dedicated support from key players across a multitude of sectors. Our partners are committed to helping translate innovative ideas into meaningful solutions.
The Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research was established in 2007 through an unprecedented gift from Hamilton philanthropist Michael G. DeGroote. Over the last decade, the IIDR has attracted a unique group of experienced investigators who are engaged in life-altering work in the fields of virology, immunology, bacterial pathogenesis and population biology and epidemiology, among others.
The Canadian Anti-infective Innovation Network (CAIN) is a consortium of over 80 leaders, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from Canadian universities, companies, governments, and not-for-profit organizations committed to addressing AMR. CAIN members span human and animal health sectors, reflecting the fact that AMR is a One Health issue.
