Strategic measures for the control of surging antimicrobial resistance in Hong Kong and mainland of China

Cheng, Vincent CC; Wong, Sally CY; Ho, Pak-Leung; Yuen, Kwok-Yung

The World Health Organization (WHO) global report on surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in 2014 1 stated that, 'a post-antibiotic era-in which common infections and minor injuries can kill-far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st Century. The report makes a clear case that resistance to common bacteria has reached alarming levels in many parts of the world and that in some settings, few, if any, of the available treatments options remain effective for common infections'. In September 2014, the US government issued a national policy for the White House national strategy for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria 2 and set up a task force for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Despite the rising antimicrobial resistance in Hong Kong and mainland China, a corresponding effort to combat this huge public health threat is not apparent. Here, we review the burden of this problem, its origin, its transmission dynamics and control measures, using data from local and mainland China where possible.