BSAC Vanguard Series: Clean water - The world's best medicine for disease and drug-resistant infection

Abstract

As stated by the WHO, without urgent action we are heading for a 'post-antibiotic era', in which common infections and minor injuries will again prove fatal, as they did in the past. How do we get millions of people to change their use of antimicrobials to avoid this terrifying outcome There is one very effective measure that we can take: making access to clean water and sanitation universal. Billions of the world's population still lack access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Some of the statistics regarding this lack of access are truly shocking. Global health organizations and policymakers must move from prioritizing treating disease to preventing it. This takes capital investment but will pay dividends in reductions in infections and antimicrobial resistance.