Earlier this week at a forum hosted by The Atlantic, Dr. Beth Bell, Director of National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) characterized antimicrobial resistance as “one of the major challenges of our time.” Antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to the health of our communities and to the effectiveness of medical treatment strategies, but good work is being done to combat resistance and promote antimicrobial stewardship across the country. NACCHO has affirmed its commitment to this effort and supports local health departments in their work on the frontlines, particularly given their critical role in convening partners at a time when growing evidence shows that a coordinated approach is more effective in preventing resistance.
CDC recently released guidance on the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) funding opportunity to fight antibiotic resistance. This represents an opportunity to build upon the work of local health departments to combat resistance and promote antibiotic stewardship. A letter from Dr. Bell to city and county health officials explains more; read it here.