All Posts Antibiotic Resistance Public Policy

Representing Public Health Labs at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship

APHL makes 5 year commitment to fight antibiotic resistance | www.APHLblog.org

By Scott J. Becker, executive director, APHL

APHL makes 5 year commitment to fight antibiotic resistance | www.APHLblog.orgToday I am representing APHL by joining over 150 major public health organizations, food companies, retailers and many other stakeholders at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship. We are each announcing specific commitments to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, detect resistant strains, preserve the efficacy of our existing antibiotics and prevent the spread of resistant infections.

As you know, APHL represents governmental public health laboratories that are on the front lines of detection in the US. Our members span state and local public health, environmental and food safety (agricultural) laboratories. As such, antibiotic resistance is a critical concern to our members.

Over the next five years, APHL will work to:

  • strengthen the state public health laboratory system’s ability to perform surveillance for antibiotic resistance, especially for multidrug resistant pathogens;
  • increase the number of public health laboratories testing for antibiotic resistance and explore opportunities for creating regional public health laboratory reference centers and/or centers of excellence;
  • increase public health laboratory engagement in national, state and local public health antibiotic resistance surveillance efforts;
  • increase awareness of CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solution Initiative for members and policymakers;
  • evaluate the use of Advanced Molecular Detection and other new testing technologies for the surveillance and characterization antibiotic resistant organisms and facilitate technology transfer and implementation; and
  • advocate for an improved regulatory and guidance development process that will allow for expedited updating of antibiotic susceptibility testing devices to ensure that clinicians are receiving the most up-to-date interpretive criteria to guide antibacterial drug selection.

Antibiotic resistance is quickly becoming one of the most pressing public health issues in the world. I am committed to working closely with public health and industry leaders to decrease this serious threat.

APHL Blog Posts on Antibiotic Resistance:

Hawaii’s Unique Public Health Challenges: Antibiotic Resistant Gonorrhea

It is never just a cold

The Tenacity of Tuberculosis: MDR-TB

 

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