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Stuart
B Levy, MD
President of APUA
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APUA Global Network Celebrates Siver Anniversary: Reflections on the Quarter Century Milestone
Message from our President
The year 2006 marks a major milestone for APUA – a celebration of our first quarter century of efforts dedicated toward improving antimicrobial use and curbing antimicrobial resistance worldwide. In the half decade since our 20th anniversary, drug resistance has continued to permeate the globe, with more and newer multidrug resistance combinations confronting the treatment of bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic diseases. The world is clearly in need of more accessible first-line agents and discovery of new antimicrobials. APUA has instituted new programs and expanded several ongoing projects over this period of time, including the Global Advisory on Antimicrobial Resistance Data (GAARD) and the Reservoirs of Antibiotic Resistance (ROAR) programs. In 2003 our Shadow Epidemic Executive Report was distributed to public and legislative bodies, presenting the first global snapshot of resistance in the world’s major viral, parasitic and bacterial pathogens. Comprehensive reviews of antimicrobial resistance were published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Hundreds of individuals have joined our ROAR project list-serv. Since inauguration of this novel collaboration of international investigators, greater attention has focused on commensal bacteria, i.e., those normally unassociated with disease, but which harbor the resistance determinants that can be transferred to more infectious agents. In fact, an important and worrisome development over the past decade is the appearance of many of these commensals as pathogens, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus that cause skin diseases and septicemia, E. coli and enterococci associated with systemic and urinary tract problems, and certain non-invasive species of Hemophilus and streptococci involved in respiratory tract infections.
APUA was created as an alliance of individuals, groups and countries with a common concern and vision. In the last five years alone, we have birthed 20 new country-based chapters, bringing the total to 56, more than half of which are in the developing world. Importantly, we have shouldered the difficult challenge of chapter-building in the continent of Africa. We have also attracted new members from broader disciplines, including not only microbiology and infectious diseases, but also public health policy, epidemiology, ecology and economics.
What are the fruits of this growing alliance? First, antimicrobial resistance has become a priority focus for organizations such as WHO, CDC, FDA and USAID. We now see a better understanding by the consumer (the patient) of the need to respect our valuable antimicrobial agents. There is a broader comprehension among physicians and patients that antibiotics are not always to be expected or needed. Finally there is increased reluctance by the prescriber to dispense antimicrobials unless absolutely necessary. Encouraged by this increased awareness, APUA now seeks to develop tools and implement concrete interventions that can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality
APUA’s mission remains steadfast – to improve and strengthen society’s defenses against infectious diseases through improved antimicrobial availability and use. We have extended our focus beyond bacteria to include other microbial agents, namely viruses, parasites and fungi.
By building coordinated global partnerships, APUA has laid the groundwork for a more aggressive campaign to curb resistance and improve access to appropriate antibiotics. APUA counts on its national and international partners and countrywide members to work with us in our continuing efforts to achieve our goals. As we enter the next quarter century, we recognize the vital role of our partners: our chapters, public health organizations and corporate sponsors supporting the mission of the Alliance. Our professional, expert staff has grown and crafted new initiatives to advance our mission. We thank all members and friends of APUA for your past support and look forward to working with you as we encounter new opportunities to conserve and build an antimicrobial armamentarium that will meet the infectious disease challenges worldwide.
Stuart B. Levy
President, APUA |
