STAT: U.S. continues to lead the fight against antibiotic resistance
Alex M. Azar II, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“One of the greatest threats to public health today, in the United States and around the world, isn’t a new exotic hazard. It’s antibiotic resistance: the potential failure of one of our most important and well-known disease-fighting tools. The latest Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report, recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that antibiotic-resistant (AR) infections — when germs defeat the drugs designed to kill them — cause more than 35,000 deaths each year in the United States. While data are limited, the situation is even more worrisome elsewhere in the world. … Addressing the threat of antimicrobial resistance helps protect our nation’s health and global health security. … We continue to lead the U.S. public health response to combat antibiotic resistance through a three-pronged strategy: detection, prevention, and innovation. … The federal government will continue to do its part. Across HHS, we are supporting the development of innovative new antibiotics, promoting the safe use of our existing tools, and ensuring antibiotic resistance remains a global priority…” (12/4).