It is estimated that 5,000 deaths are caused every year in England because antibiotics no longer work for some infections and this figure is set to rise with experts predicting that in just over 30 years antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer and diabetes combined.
Antibiotics help ward off infections during chemotherapy, caesarean sections and other surgery. They also treat serious bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, but they are being used for everyday viral infections, such as colds or flu, where they are not effective. Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them.
The campaign will also support health care professionals by boosting support for alternatives to prescribing antibiotics. TV, radio and social media will be utilised to provide a broad reach in promoting the campaign.
Leaflets and posters, will be available for healthcare settings including GP surgeries and pharmacists. Resources are available free to healthcare professionals and are available from the PHE campaign resource centre
Watch the TV advert here >>
Antibiotics film >>
