Overview
- At a global antimicrobial resistance summit in Sydney, international leaders including UK envoy Dame Sally Davies urged Australia to adopt a subscription model to secure novel antibiotics.
- Doctors report about 100 Australians die each week from drug‑resistant infections, highlighting the growing toll on patients and routine medical care.
- The Australian Centre for Disease Control reported a more than 25% rise in critical antibiotic resistance in 2024 and found multidrug‑resistant bacteria in 12.2% of paediatric bloodstream infections.
- Access gaps persist, with clinicians filing roughly 500 special‑access requests each month for unregistered antibiotics, including for critically ill patients, while only three of 25 novel drugs approved in the US/EU since 2011 are registered locally.
- The UK’s scheme pays £5–£20 million per drug annually and has secured access to cefiderocol and ceftazidime–avibactam, with experts stressing any Australian model must be paired with strong stewardship and better diagnostics as the government signals commitment but no scheme yet.