By 2050, antibiotic-resistant infections are expected to kill 10 million people worldwide each year -- far more than the 3.5 million deaths caused by COVID-19 globally in 2021. Thus, we urgently need antibiotic alternatives, particularly in Africa and Asia where 90% of the antibiotic-resistant deaths will occur. Phages for Global Health empowers scientists in those regions to develop cheap, natural antibacterials (phages) that can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in people, livestock and food.
Antibiotic resistance disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, >70% of some bloodstream infections are resistant to even the newer classes of antibiotics. And in parts of Asia, >80% of certain bacteria are resistant to the so-called "last-resort" antibiotics. With few other treatment options available, phage drugs are regaining popularity in high-income nations, but most researchers in Africa and Asia lack the expertise to develop and utilize them effectively.
Phages could be especially useful in resource-limited settings since they can treat antibiotic-resistant infections, are easy to isolate from local environments, relatively inexpensive to produce, and have few reported side effects. We are (1) teaching African and Asian scientists how to isolate phages, (2) partnering with them to develop phage products, (3) providing information to regional drug regulatory agencies, and (4) working toward establishing centralized phage banks in Africa and Asia.
Each scientist we have trained has taught phage biology to roughly 10 others through their home institutions in Africa and Asia. And for every $1 we have spent on those trainees, they have raised approximately $10 in grants to support their phage work -- impactful scaling! We're now expanding further by collaborating with African and Asian leaders to develop national infrastructures for developing and delivering phage products within their countries. Imagine how many lives could be saved!
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