News outlets report on a new series, titled “Access to effective antimicrobials: a worldwide challenge,” published online Wednesday by The Lancet.

CIDRAP News: Experts press for wider scope, evidence in drug resistance battle
“Focused attention on antimicrobial resistance, underscored by coordinated global and national awareness campaigns this week, is welcome, but discussions overlook broader questions such as how to preserve access for populations who need them and how to maintain the effectiveness of the drugs, according to a series that launched in The Lancet [Wednesday]…” (Schnirring, 11/18).

News Hour: Worrying lack of evidence for control policies threatens fight against antimicrobial resistance
“…The series urges renewed focus on understanding which policies will work to combat antimicrobial resistance, but it also points out that globally, lack of access to antimicrobial drugs remains a major issue. Despite the huge advances made in access to medicines in recent years, thousands of people — particularly babies, children, and mothers — are still at risk of serious illness or death from treatable infectious diseases…” (Sifat, 11/19).

Wall Street Journal: Not So Fast on War on Antibiotics Says Lancet Report
“…The dangers of not using antibiotics to treat disease shouldn’t be underestimated, according to the study, which was published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, on Thursday. Data from the report show universal access to antibiotics could avert as many as 445,000 deaths worldwide in children under the age of five — a significant number of those lives could be saved in India…” (Bhattacharya, 11/19).