Background
In the not-so-distant past, a simple cut or a sore throat could be a death sentence. The discovery of antibiotics in the early 20th century changed everything, turning once-deadly infections into easily treatable conditions. Today, however, a new threat looms: antibiotic resistance. The once-miraculous drugs that revolutionized medicine are losing their power, and the rise of ‘superbugs’—bacteria that can withstand multiple antibiotics—threatens to push us back to a pre-antibiotic era.
Antibiotic resistance is not a distant or abstract threat. It is here, now, affecting millions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 700,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections—a number projected to soar to 10 million annually by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.
