Former Northampton Saints scrum-half Matt Dawson is leading a new charge in the battle against antibiotic resistance. The 53-year-old, best known for his role in England's 2003 Rugby World Cup victory, is using his voice for a greater cause following a family medical incident a decade ago.
Son's meningitis sparks advocacy
In 2016, Dawson's son Sami contracted bacterial meningitis and spent two weeks in intensive care before a rapid course of antibiotic treatment led to a full recovery. Dawson now fears that the very thing that saved his son's life could become ineffective due to rising antibiotic resistance.
"My family had a high-profile incident in 2016 when my son Sami was two years old," Dawson said. "He got really poorly with meningitis. And obviously, being a parent and getting as involved as you do, you realise the immense work that the medics and our health service and professionals do around it. I started to understand a little bit more and I became very aware of the importance of antibiotics to Sami. Effectively, they saved his life."
Survey reveals knowledge gaps
Despite over 80% of people believing they have a good understanding of antibiotic resistance, only 21% know that antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, according to a recent survey of 2,000 people conducted by the Fleming Initiative. Dawson, who spent 15 years as a professional athlete and strictly followed medical and anti-doping rules, was shocked by the results.
"There are plenty of occasions where you hear, 'Oh, I'm on antibiotics, but they're not doing anything for me', and that could be because that person has a virus, where antibiotics are not effective," Dawson added. "And it's a concern that we could lose the effectiveness of antibiotics, which are crucial for emergency surgery and the recovery for someone like Sami, or whether it's cancer treatments during pregnancy."
Sporting stars unite for campaign
With the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, near the birthplace of Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin, Dawson has teamed up with swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Alice Tai to launch the 'Keep antibiotics in play' campaign. The initiative, led by the Fleming Initiative with funding and support from GSK, aims to use the power of sport to engage the public and raise awareness about antibiotic resistance.
"There isn't a magic potion that we're trying to get people to take. This is general knowledge. This is information," Dawson said. For more information, visit fleminginitiative.org/play.
