VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 7
N EW R ES E A RC H : S I L E N T PA ND E MI C
THE PATH
FOR CURBING
ANTIMICROBIAL
RESISTANCE
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read report
A recent report outlines the challenges Australia and the
world need to overcome to avoid being thrust back into a
pre-antimicrobial age where simple infections are deadly
and some surgeries are too risky to perform.
Australia is seeing a growing 'silent pandemic’ of
antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — when bacteria and
other microbes become resistant to the drugs designed
to kill them, such as antibiotics, usually from misuse
or overuse.
The report, Curbing antimicrobial resistance:
A technology-powered, human-driven approach to
combating the ‘silent pandemic’, was developed by
the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
and Engineering (ATSE) and initiated by CSIRO,
Australia’s national science agency. It calls for greater
national coordination and a focus on streamlining
commercialisation processes for new antimicrobial
resistance solutions and technologies.
Branwen Morgan, Lead of CSIRO’s Minimising
Antimicrobial Resistance Mission, said AMR was recently
designated one of the top 10 public health threats facing
humanity by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report drew on the expertise of more than
100 multidisciplinary experts across government,
academia and industry and looked at a range of
potentially impactful technologies such as integrated
surveillance and sensing solutions, point-of-care
diagnostics, vaccination technologies, antimicrobial
surfaces and air sterilisation technologies.
ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said Australia has the
potential to be a global contributor in the development
of technologies to combat AMR and should aspire to
be a world leader in its management.
What's
On 1 —31 MA RC H
FND Australia
Awareness Day
National Epilepsy
Awareness
1 5 —1 9 MA RC H
World's Greatest Shave
20—26 MA RC H
National Advanced Care
Planning Week
26 MA RC H
Purple Day
1 —30 A P R I L
IBS Awareness Month
7 APRIL
World Health Day
11 APRIL
World Parkinson's Day
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