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New national campaign is launched to raise awareness of AMR
What is AMR?
Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, occurs when the bugs that cause infections become resistant to antimicrobial medicines such as antibiotics. As a result, these medicines no longer work.
AMR is a global health threat for everyone, but remains a major concern for people living with cystic fibrosis, who rely on effective medicines to treat lung infections.
What is the new campaign?
The UKHSA have conducted research and found that most people do not know what they can personally do to combat AMR, and there are still lots of misconceptions about antibiotics. The key messages they’d like everyone to be aware of is:
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Do not take antibiotics for colds and flu
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Do not save antibiotics for later
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Take antibiotics as directed by your healthcare professional
Why is AMR a particular threat to people with CF?
Most people with CF will contract a number of infections throughout their lives. Our UK CF Registry annual data report for 2023 showed that one in five people with CF had at least one course of intravenous treatment for a CF lung infection.
Once these infections adapt to the environment of CF lungs they can be extremely difficult to treat, and in some cases, they are becoming resistant to the strongest drugs that are available.
What is the Trust doing about AMR?
As part of our research goal, understanding and treating lung infections, we are funding research into some of the most common and dangerous CF infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium abscessus, to detect infections faster and develop better treatments.
You can find out about some of our recent research updates below.
Through funding from one of our Strategic Research Centre grants a team of researchers, led by Professor Martin Welch at the University of Cambridge has identified a potential new approach to treating P. aeruginosa lung infections.
Professor Jane Davies, a member of the CF AMR Syndicate steering committee, spoke about why CF lung infections are so difficult to treat at our Science Media Centre briefing.
Cystic Fibrosis Trust and medical research charity LifeArc have co-funded a £15m research programme to create a new Translational Innovation Hub Network that will fast track new research and treatments to improve lung health and quality of life for people with CF.
How can I help?
Last week, we launched a new Spring appeal to fund research into CF lung infections, so more people with cystic fibrosis avoid going into hospital with lung infections and have the chance to live a life not limited by their condition.
To launch the appeal, we shared Chloe and Bob’s stories.
CF continues to make too many lives too tough and too short, and Cystic Fibrosis Trust will not stop until everyone with CF can live a life that’s not limited by their condition.
We need your help to fund more research, speed up progress, and make sure everyone with CF can live a life unlimited. To help Cystic Fibrosis Trust fund more important work, click here.
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