In his op-ed in The Hill, NACCHO’s Executive Director Dr. Hasbrouck urges swifter action in fighting antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, known as “superbugs,” cause an estimated 2 million illnesses and claim 23,000 lives each year in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a plan to fight these superbugs on August 4, and this op-ed provides a number of recommendations on how local health departments can play a critical role in making this plan a success. The CDC report cites the Illinois Department of Health, where Dr. Hasbrouck led the fight against superbugs, as an example of what can be done. Without greater efforts to fight antibiotic resistance, many of the life-saving antibiotics that have saved countless lives for decades will be unable to protect us and our children in the future.

Read more and see the new CDC Vital Signs report on making healthcare safer by stopping the spread of antibiotic resistance.