About antibiotic resistance
About antibiotic resistance
What is antibiotic resistance?
Overusing antibiotics or using them inappropriately can lead to resistance. Antibiotic resistance is driven by exposure to antibiotics, so the more you use them, the more likely you are to become resistant.1 Over time, antibiotics become ineffective against their target bacterial infections.2
As you might have seen in the news, the increase in antibiotic resistance is creating a generation of 'superbugs' that cannot be treated with antibiotics. This has already led to a range of problems, such as: people suffering longer infections as they are more difficult to treat; a rise in the number of deaths related to infections; and socio-economic costs associated with treating ill health.3
Currently, antibiotic resistance is estimated to cause 700,000 deaths a year globally.3
