As the UK experiences unseasonably high temperatures, the growing urgency of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been underscored. A recent study highlighted that the climate crisis is accelerating the spread of superbugs, but a letter from WaterAid argues that a crucial defence mechanism is being overlooked: clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
Helen Hamilton, WaterAid's head of policy on health and hygiene, writes that while drug misuse remains a key driver of AMR, the climate crisis means bacteria are mutating and spreading faster than ever. Yet the foundational defence against infection—preventive hygiene—is missing from the global discussion.
In regions of sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, extreme flooding and drought are causing fragile water and sanitation infrastructure to collapse, releasing waste and pathogens into community water sources. Without reliable clean water to prevent infections, reliance on antibiotics rises, tightening the grip of resistance.
Hamilton argues that AMR cannot be addressed solely as a pharmaceutical issue. Global mitigation policies and 'One Health' initiatives must integrate increased funding for resilient, climate-smart water, sanitation and hygiene services. Investing in these basics is not just a development goal but a critical countermeasure against the 'slow-moving pandemic' of antimicrobial resistance.
