Interview–
Dr Jonathan Anomaly

What if the future of our health system saw a return to the Victorian era, a time when a small scratch from gardening or shaving could lead to infection, sepsis, and death. So much of modern medicine depends on antibiotics. Without them, we would lose procedures and treatments that today we take for granted.

However, we have been misusing antibiotics for far too long. They are often overprescribed, and in some countries can still be obtained without a prescription. People sometimes take them unnecessarily, such as for viral infections where they have no effect. Each unnecessary course drives resistance further.

If no action is taken, by 2050 antibiotic-resistant infections could cause 10 million deaths every year worldwide – a figure equal to the number of people who currently die from cancer. This is why we must raise awareness about the misuse of antibiotics and the threat of resistance. Without change, more lives will continue to be lost.