Antibiotic resistance is an urgent challenge for global public health, an emergency foretold: every year, millions of people die around the world due to microbes becoming increasingly immune to drugs. What can we do? We can change our perspective, from engaging in an endless war with no winners to cultivating a mindful relationship: a veritable coexistence in view of attaining an enduring balance. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand and manage wisely available antibiotic resources, put an end to irresponsible practices (such as self-prescription and over-prescription), and apply a multidisciplinary approach, placing health policy at the centre of global cooperation. All this is necessary if we want antibiotics to maintain their life-saving efficacy.

Michele Bartoletti teaches Infectious Diseases at the Humanitas University in Milan, where he also heads the Infectious Disease Unit at the Humanitas Research Hospital.