Diagnostic tests a crucial tool in fight against antibiotic resistance

Identifying conditions can prevent inappropriate drug use, but there are barriers to progress in poorer regions. 

Fear that antibiotics will gradually lose their effectiveness, blunting one of the 20th century’s most extraordinary medical breakthroughs, preoccupies policymakers worldwide. But far less attention has been paid to the need for better diagnostic tools to ensure the drugs are used appropriately — or not at all.

Overuse of existing antibiotics and a lack of new medicines is fuelling drug resistance that is estimated to have caused 1.3mn deaths in 2019.