The World Health Organisation is launching a global campaign to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant ‘superbugs’ through the development of a classification system for existing drugs.
The organisation’s new system splits antibiotic drugs into three categories to ensure less costly ‘narrow-spectrum’ drugs are used for initial treatment, with stronger drugs reserved for cases where other antibiotics have failed.
World Health Organisation Chief Tedros Adhanom says antimicrobial resistance “is one of the most urgent health risks of our time,” with the OECD estimating 2.4 million people could die from superbug infections in Europe, North America and Australia over the next 30 years.