Abstract

The second of the two volumes of the Chief Medical Officer for England's Annual Report on the state of the public's health is released this week. 1 Davies SC Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, Volume Two, 2011, infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Department of Health, London2013 Google Scholar The report includes recommendations aimed specifically at politicians and highlights the need for strong action on antimicrobial resistance, since this issue has the potential to be as important as global warming in terms of its impact on health. The report identifies antimicrobial resistance as a cross-societal and therefore cross-governmental issue that encompasses both a market failure to produce new antibiotics and the need for better antibiotic stewardship. A key recommendation of the report is that resistance should be placed on the UK national risk register (specifically, the National Security Risk Assessment). The report also highlights the need for international action on antimicrobial resistance for which the UK Government is well placed to lobby.