The reduction in infectious disease morbidity and mortality may be attributed to a
variety of factors; however, improved sanitation and public health, and the introduction
of vaccines and antibiotics are among the most significant. The development of antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens is an expected consequence of evolutionary
adaptation to these noxious agents and the widespread use of these drugs has significantly
sped up this process. Infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens are directly
associated with worse clinical outcomes, longer hospital stays, excess mortality in
the affected patients and an increasing burden and costs on the healthcare infrastructure.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were published in 2015 by the United Nations
to serve as a global blueprint for a better, more equitable, more sustainable life
on our planet. The SDGs contextualize AMR as a global public health and societal issue;
in addition, the continuing emergence of AMR may limit the attainment on many SDGs.
The aim of this mini-review is to provide insight on the interface between attainment
of SDGs and the clinical problem of drug resistance in bacteria.
