Development Matters - What is antibiotic resistance and why is it a serious global threat?

The World Health Organization has described antibiotic resistance as one of the biggest threats to global health and food security. It is estimated that at least 700,000 people die globally each year from ‘superbug’ infections that are resistant to antimicrobial medicines and this is predicted to rise to 10 million by 2050. This episode explores what exactly we mean by antibiotic resistance, the use of antibiotics in food production, the potentially devastating effects of not addressing antibiotic resistance and solutions to this frightening problem. The speakers are Dr Clare Chandler (Associate Professor in Medical Anthropology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and Dr. Lucy Brunton (Lecturer in Molecular Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College).