Topic: Rise of Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens
Country: China
Delegate Name: Lauren Niswonger
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All China position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
A major problem the World Health Organization is facing is the rise in number of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Pathogens are increasingly evolving into antibiotics since the problem was introduced to the World Health Organization in 119, resulting in unpredictable outbreaks of diseases that are thus uncontrollable because they are immune to antibiotics. The pathogen immunity to antibiotics has lead and continues to lead to outbreaks such as swine flu, SARS, and bird flu.
China would like to discuss all options for the lessening and eventual eradication of this problem as proposed by other countries. The influence of antibiotics introduced to livestock is a considerable concern considering that any antibiotic that goes through the body one of these livestock will eventually be reintroduced to the environment and potentially allow pathogens to be exposed to them and develop an immunity to the antibiotic.
It is critically important to identify necessary antimicrobials for humans and to regulate those antimicrobials so that pathogens are not exposed to them and given the opportunity to evolve into a stronger species. In addition, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in commercial livestock needs to be greatly reduced and regulated in order to further avoid interaction between potentially deadly pathogens and antibiotics.
Representatives from the nations of China, Oman, India, the United States of America, Australia, France, Japan, and Mauritius came to the conclusion, at the World Health Organization working group consultation in February 2005, to:
1. create criteria to define critically important antimicrobials for humans;
2. explain the criteria that led to the selection of antimicrobials for this list; and
3. create a draft list of critically important antimicrobials for humans.
These criterion will help the world to regulate antibiotic use and to avoid using antibiotics unnecessarily.
