"U.S. Aims to Curb Peril of Antibiotic Resistance"

"WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday announced measures to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, outlining a national strategy that includes incentives for the development of new drugs, tighter stewardship of existing ones, and improvements in tracking the use of antibiotics and the microbes that are resistant to them.

The actions are the first major White House effort to confront a public health crisis that takes at least 23,000 lives a year, and many experts were pleased that a president had finally focused on the issue. But some said the strategy fell short in not recommending tougher measures against the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, which, they argue, is a big part of the problem.

Researchers have been warning for years that antibiotics — miracle drugs that changed the course of human health in the 20th century — are losing their power because of overuse. Some warn that if the trend is not halted, we could return to the time before antibiotics, when it was common for people to die from ordinary infections and for children not to survive strep throat."

Sabrina Tavernise reports for the New York Times September 18, 2014.

SEE ALSO:

"Obama Directs Federal Agencies To Ramp Up Efforts To Deal With Antibiotic Resistance" (Washington Post)

"Obama Orders Plan Against Antibiotic Resistance" (Wall Street Journal)

"White House Calls for Action Plan to Address Antibiotic Resistance" (Food Safety News)

"President Signs Order To Fight Superbugs" (CNN)

"White House Orders Plan for Antibiotic Resistance" (AP)

"Executive Order -- Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria" (White House)

"FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Takes Actions to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria" (White House)

"PCAST Releases New Report on Combating Antibiotic Resistance" (White House)