Battling a Global Health Concern – AMR
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
What is AMR? It happens when microorganisms become immune to the drugs that were created to eliminate them. As medicine becomes ineffective, infections caused by viruses and bacteria persist in the body. AMR thus poses risks to medical procedures such as surgery, cancer chemotherapy and organ transplant.
A Pressing Health Issue
In 2016 alone, AMR has caused an estimated 700,000 deaths globally. By 2050, the number of deaths is projected to increase to 10 million, surpassing deaths caused by cancer. Researchers have also anticipated the economic impact to be comparable to that of the 2008 global financial crisis by 2050.
Our research programmes tackle the top three most dangerous types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria- Staphylococcus Aureus, E.Coli and Klebsiella Pneumonia. These three types of bacteria most prominent amongst the different types highlighted by the WHO (World Health Organization).
Our Ongoing Projects:
1.Investigating the Best Treatment for a Superbug
Our earlier trial shows that the current gold standard treatment for Staph Aureus increases the risk of kidney damage. It is key to find better treatments that do not compromise our patients' health.
Partnering with 4 other countries - Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel- our researchers investigate the combination of drugs that can treat various Staph Aureus strains.
2. Less may be More, can Oral Antibiotics Treat Serious Bloodstream Infections?
We are investigating if oral antibiotics work just as well as injected antibiotics. This is to tackle microorganisms E.Coli and Klebsiella that cause bloodstream infection, a condition leading to a death rate of 10-20%.
The success of our project will bring transformative change, saving the cost of healthcare and reducing hospitalisation.
Find out how you can help our community fight against antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.
References:
[1] World Health Organization. (2017, July). What is antimicrobial resistance? World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/features/qa/75/en/.
[2] World Health Organization. Antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance.
[3] World Health Organization. About AMR. World Health Organization. http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/antimicrobial-resistance/about-amr.
[4] World Health Organization. (2016, September). United Nations meeting on antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/9/16-020916/en/.
[5] Walsh, F. (2014, December 11). Superbugs to kill 'more than cancer' by 2050. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-30416844.
[6] Chua, A. Q., Kwa, A. L.-H., Tan, T. Y., Legido-Quigley, H., & Hsu, L. Y. (2019). Ten-year narrative review on antimicrobial resistance in Singapore. SMJ. http://www.smj.org.sg/article/ten-year-narrative-review-antimicrobial-resistance-singapore.
[7] World Health Organization. Drug Resistance: Public Health Importance of Antimicrobial Resistance. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/drugresistance/AMR_Importance/en/
