The rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is globally recognised as one of the greatest potential threats to human health. No new class of antibiotic has been found since 1987, and in February 2017, the UN's World Health Organisation released its first ever list of the World's Most Dangerous Superbugs, saying, "Within a generation, without new antibiotics, deaths from drug-resistant infection could reach 10 million a year. Without new medicines to treat deadly infection, lifesaving treatments like chemotherapy and organ transplant, and routine operations like caesareans and hip replacements, will be potentially fatal." This program looks at what is being done to fight back. It discusses some of the reasons for the emergence and spread of AMR and looks at a project to measure the spread of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in waterways across Europe. It also explains how agriculture continues to one of the major factors in the spread of antibiotic resistance as many farmers add antibiotics to their animal feed to reduce the risk of disease.

Originally released by Network Ireland Television, 2017. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 15, 2023.