Microbes and Health
To advance the microbial sciences and their application to human health now and in the future, ASM will advocate for the following:
You can read all of the American Society for Microbiology Policy Principles and sign up for advocacy alerts.
- Robust, sustained and predictable funding for medical research.
- Robust funding for public health agencies, including continued funding and support for current and future advances in public health surveillance of infectious diseases and countermeasures.
- A “One Health” approach to antimicrobial resistance to stem the growing problem in the United States and around the world.
- Accelerate research, improve laboratory capacity in developing countries, strengthen global health infrastructures, promote antibiotic stewardship, and establish a global surveillance system to inform realistic, defensive action plans to combat the spread of antimicrobial resistant organisms and to evaluate the impact of these intervention measures.
- Support marketplace incentives to foster the development and marketing of new diagnostics and therapies to provide for the public health and patient benefit.
- Enhanced international cooperation and diplomacy, such as data sharing, intellectual property agreements and establishing sites for clinical trials and research. Addressing these barriers will prevent delays in responding to epidemics worldwide.
- Recognition of the overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccines save and improve lives. Continued investment in the development of vaccines, as well as effective deployment of evidence-based public preventive strategies and education to protect against existing and re-emerging diseases.
- Policies that engage public-private partnerships and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations to address emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
- Policies that recognize the value of clinical microbiology and the importance of infectious disease testing and diagnosis in animals and humans.
You can read all of the American Society for Microbiology Policy Principles and sign up for advocacy alerts.
