Humans of Global Health is an Erasmus MC initiative to show how interconnected we are in Research, Patient Care and Education in our Globalizing World.
John Hays - Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - is an expert on antibiotic resistance research. He is involved in projects ranging from the development of new antibiotics to the development of rapid diagnostics and the identification of biomarkers for the targeted prescribing of antibiotics. Dr. Hays acknowledges that global cooperation to combat antibiotic resistance is essential - the projects on which he works involves more than 30 partners in 16 different countries. "The European Union is providing much needed funding to help bring together international partners from academia and business to tackle the spread of global antibiotic resistance and has done much to help improve the health of European and global citizens. However, many excellent research ideas still do not receive funding due to limited finances. Additionally, it can be difficult to obtain funding for research once EU financing has ended" says Dr Hays.
The problem of worldwide antibiotic resistance cannot simply be solved by research alone and in this respect, all 193 members of the United Nations recently (September 2016) signed a declaration to combat the proliferation of antibiotic resistance, which is calculated to kill approximately 700,000 people per year. However, the solution to the problem not only involves scientists and politicians, but also involves action from medical doctors, patients and all global citizens. In Northern European countries, medical professionals have tended to be more conservative with the prescription of antibiotics, this is relevant because the global “misuse” of antibiotics leads to the establishment and spread of multi-resistant bacteria, pathogens that do not respect national borders. Global citizens also need to be educated on the devastating effects of antibiotic resistance and how they can help to stop its spread. For example, the 'European Antibiotic Awareness Day' - a European public health initiative - takes place every year and offers advice or 'Toolkits' for both medical professionals and the general public. Dr. Hays, 'This year, together with colleagues, we are preparing a small exhibition to educate the general public on the importance of antibiotic resistance at the Natuurhistorisch Museum, Rotterdam".