[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9367 of November 13, 2015

Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The discovery of antibiotics marked an important medical moment in
history, and for decades, antibiotics have served as crucial components
of our fight against bacterial infectious diseases. Saving millions of
lives around the world each year, antibiotics provide an effective
method for treating patients and help us combat many diseases that were
at one time considered fatal. However, their overuse and misuse has
created bacteria with increased levels of antibiotic resistance, posing
significant challenges to countering infectious disease. We must
preserve the life-saving power of antibiotics so they will work when
most needed for serious infections and for generations to come. This
week,

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we recommit to raising awareness of antibiotic-resistant bacteria--a
serious public health, economic, and national security threat--and we
pledge to use antibiotics safely and responsibly.
Every year, more than 2 million people in the United States are infected
with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and over 23,000 people die as a
direct result of these infections. The use of antibiotics is the biggest
contributing factor to antibiotic resistance, and up to half of all
antibiotics prescribed for humans are not needed or are not administered
as effectively as possible. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics
continue to obstruct our fight against bacterial drug resistance,
leading to a loss of the efficacy of existing antibiotics. And to fully
address antibiotic resistance, we must recognize that the health of
humans, animals, and the environment are more connected than ever
before.
My Administration is committed to preventing infections and improving
the ways in which antibiotics are prescribed and used--an effort that
could save tens of thousands of lives in the next few years alone. Last
year, I signed an Executive Order to implement measures aimed at
detecting, preventing, and controlling illnesses caused by antibiotic-
resistant infections here at home and across the globe. This action will
help stem the emergence and proliferation of bacteria resistant to
antibiotics and ensure the continued availability of effective
treatments for bacterial infections. This Order also directed the
development of a Government-wide, 5-year National Action Plan for
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which is designed to accelerate
actions to address urgent and serious drug-resistant threats that can
affect all people. The plan enhances our efforts to slow the spread of
resistant bacterial infections, strengthens our work to combat
resistance, advances the ways we identify and characterize resistant
bacteria, supports the research and development of new diagnostic tests
and treatments, and bolsters collaboration with international partners
to create a coordinated system for international surveillance. To build
on this comprehensive effort, we convened a White House Forum on
Antibiotic Stewardship earlier this year, bringing together health,
business, academic, and agricultural leaders to promote the responsible
use of antibiotics in humans and animals. By ensuring antibiotics are
used carefully and only when needed, we can help safeguard the health of
our people and people around the world.
The United States has the ability to lead a new era in health care.
Antibiotic stewardship in science and medicine requires working with
global partners, and it demands that we provide the tools and resources
necessary for individuals to use antibiotics safely and effectively.
Throughout this week, let us rededicate our attention toward the effects
of the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, and let us reaffirm our
support for those striving to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 16 through
November 22, 2015, as Get Smart About Antibiotics Week. I call upon the
scientific community, medical professionals, educators, businesses,
industry leaders, and all Americans to observe this week by promoting
the responsible use of antibiotics and raising awareness of the dangers
inherent to their misuse and overuse.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA