Obama wants more money to fight antibiotic-resistant germs
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama will ask Congress to nearly double its funding to fight antibiotic resistance to $1.2 billion, the White House said Tuesday.
More than 23,000 Americans die every year from infections that can withstand some of the best antibiotics, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization said last year that bacteria resistant to antibiotics have spread to every part of the world and might lead to a future where minor infections could kill.
Obama's proposal would fund research into new antibiotics, monitoring of outbreaks and address resistance at veterans' and military hospitals. It also would fund efforts to prevent overprescription of antibiotics.
