Antimicrobial Resistance

Anum Qaisar thanked Kevin Hollinrake for securing the debate and highlighted the importance of awareness and political traction. She noted that antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to healthcare, with 1,312 antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in Scotland last year. She pointed out overuse of antibiotics in treating sore throats and the need to reduce their use. Qaisar also addressed the issue of using antibiotics in animal feed and its potential risks for human health.

Reminded Members to wear face coverings, follow covid lateral flow testing guidance and maintain social distancing in accordance with current government guidelines.

Jim Shannon highlighted the global and regional impact of antibiotic resistance, citing Northern Ireland's chief medical officer's warning that by 2050 there could be about 10 million deaths annually from drug-resistant infections. He raised concerns over hospital admissions due to such infections in England and stressed the need for action now. He also acknowledged the progress made by farmers unions in reducing antibiotic usage, particularly in pig and poultry sectors.

Stressed the need for the Government to assess how covid has impacted antibiotic resistance, noting the potential of AMR to surpass the effects of the pandemic. He suggested increasing financial commitment now and called for raising the £10 million cap on the Government's AMR project subscription trial. Sturdy also urged building more laboratory capacity in middle-income countries as part of aid strategies and emphasised the need for cross-Government action on AMR.

Ms Smyth highlighted the concern about the lack of improvement in the situation regarding antimicrobial resistance despite being world leaders in this area. She cited Professor Dame Sally Davies' 2013 warning that if action was not taken, people could die from routine surgery due to untreatable infections by 2050. Ms Smyth mentioned the 2016 report estimating a $40 billion cost for global action and noted that progress since then has been slow.

Stressed the urgent need for policy reforms to create market conditions that enable sustainable investment in antibiotic innovation, highlighting the high failure rates of antibiotic development and the importance of a subscription-style model for antibiotics. Emphasised the need for increased public understanding of the dangers of over-prescribing or misusing antibiotics and tackling overuse in farming.