Antibiotic-resistant infections are predicted to kill 10 million people each year by 2050 -- five times more than the roughly 2 million deaths caused by COVID-19 in 2020. Thus, we urgently need antibiotic alternatives, particularly in Africa and Asia where 90% of the antibiotic-resistant deaths will occur. Phages for Global Health empowers scientists in Africa and Asia to develop inexpensive, natural antibiotic alternatives (phages) that can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Challenge

The antibiotic resistance crisis disproportionately impacts developing countries, and misuse of antibiotics in COVID-19 patients is expected to increase antibiotic resistance rates worldwide. Before antibiotics were discovered, phages were used as antibacterial agents. With few other treatment options available now, phage-based drugs are regaining popularity in industrialized nations, but most researchers in developing countries lack the expertise to develop and utilize them effectively.

Long-Term Impact

Since 2017 we have delivered 4 in-person workshops in Africa, teaching scientists how to isolate phages. Those trainees have now started >50 phage research projects, won grants totaling to >$945,000, and taught phage biology to 1200 others -- rapid scaling! In 2022 we will run our first virtual workshop, specifically for scientists in Southeast Asia. Since phages can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food, livestock and people, all this work could save thousands of lives, if not millions.

References

1. http://phagesforglobalhealth.org/
2. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/sep/21/phages-the-tiny-viruses-that-could-help-beat-superbugs
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQDiwCyyFII
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI3tsmFsrOg
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4897794/pdf/fmicb-07-00882.pdf

Additional Documentation

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4897794/pdf/fmicb-07-00882.pdf

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