The White House announced a series of executive actions today aimed at combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria on a federal level.

These actions, which are outlined in an executive order from President Obama, establish a cabinet-level national task force focused on the issue as well as a presidential advisory council comprised of leading experts. These groups are charged with focusing on stewardship of current antibiotic technologies, increased national surveillance efforts, working with the World Health Organization on international cooperation, and incentivizing the development of new therapeutics.

The formation of these groups coincides with the release of a related report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and specific actions to be taken are detailed in a National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. Five concrete goals, to be accomplished by 2020, make up the strategy that will carry out the vision of ramping up efforts both domestically and internationally. The interagency task force, led by the secretaries of health and human services, agriculture, and defense, has been directed to develop a comprehensive five-year plan by February 15 of next year to carry out these goals.

Also announced today was the launch of a $20 million prize for a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test for the identification of highly resistant bacterial infections. The prize will be co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and is expected to be announced in detail by the end of September.

Though it represents significant progress in new development and diagnostics, the strategy has received some criticism for not adequately addressing agricultural antibiotics, which account for 80% of antibiotic use in the U.S. each year by weight.

The Obama Administration emphasized a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published last year that conservatively estimates 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses are associated with antibiotic resistance each year in the U.S. The report also states that the financial effects of antibiotic-resistant infections on the U.S. economy could be as high as $20 billion in health care costs and $35 billion in lost productivity annually.

Photo courtesy of CDDEP Resistance Map.