World leaders have committed US$790m to fighting superbugs. These are infectious diseases that don’t respond to treatment using antibiotics – an essential defence against infections after surgery.

They are also essential in complex treatment programmes, such as chemotherapy. But antibiotics are being misused. They are often wrongly prescribed for viral diseases, such as the flu, and they are increasingly used in livestock to encourage growth. This abuse of antibiotics is leading to strains of bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics. Without urgent action, it is estimated that antimicrobial resistance will result in 10m deaths annually by 2050.

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