NACCHO released the following statement in response to the newly released Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report, 2019 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report reveals the threat of antibiotic resistance is bigger than previously projected and continues to grow, resulting in at least 2.8 million infections, more than 35,000 deaths, and billions in healthcare costs each year. Nonetheless, findings also indicate that prevention efforts have worked to reduce death from resistant pathogens by nearly 20 percent overall.
“On average, someone in the United States dies from an antibiotic-resistant infection every 15 minutes. The updated threat report shows that the problem of antibiotic resistance is not going away. The number of cases across the U.S. continues to grow, having a very real impact on the individuals and communities affected,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, MBA, NACCHO Chief Executive Officer. “Despite this, thanks to additional investments and focus, prevention efforts by public health and healthcare partners are making a difference in curbing this threat. As new resistance continues to emerge, local health departments are uniquely positioned to work with healthcare and community partners in infection control and containment response. But funding and resources, including additional personnel, are required, as local health departments have lost almost a quarter of their workforce in the last decade. Increased resources are crucial to continuing the gains made to date and responding to the ongoing threat posed by expanding, evolving, and emerging resistant bacteria and fungi.”
