In an eye-opening episode of the Culture de-cooded podcast – where host, Charlie Coode, interviews some of the world’s most prominent leaders – Dame Sally Davies addresses a silent but deadly pandemic: antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Otherwise known as hospital superbugs, AMR is behind millions of deaths worldwide, all caused by overreliance on antibiotic treatments. It’s something that Dame Sally, as the UK’s Special Envoy on AMR, has seen all too much of, with the former Chief Medical Officer warning “it’s silent, it’s insidious – and it will lose modern medicine”.
A persistent pandemic
Referring to AMR as our most persistent pandemic, surpassing even Covid-19, Dame Sally paints a stark future, where childbirth, surgeries and cancer treatments become perilous due to untreatable infections.
“It’s not just patients who are to blame”, Dame Sally adds, noting that over 70% of the world’s antibiotics are used in the food chain, accelerating resistance.
Health diplomacy
The solution, according to Dame Sally, is institutional change and collective action. “It’s not easy”, she admits, adding “to be really successful, you have to take people with you”.
It’s all about leadership and persuasion. Throughout her career, Dame Sally has found that framing the problem in relatable terms helps to gain ministerial support. The aim is health diplomacy, building trust and fostering collaboration to create social movement.
“My interest is not power, but influence”, Dame Sally explains, highlighting the importance of a steady, persistent push.
“You can’t do it overnight. You have to socialise. You have to move steadily”, says Dame Sally, discussing the success of the Fleming Fund, designed to tackle ARM with over £400 million and support from the Royal Family.
Changing behaviours to save lives
Acknowledging that money and politics alone cannot, however, solve the problem, Dame Sally concedes that “one of the biggest challenges, is of course, behaviour”.
Changing public behaviour is crucial in the fight against AMR. Simple actions like proper handwashing and responsible antibiotic use can make a huge difference, but require a cultural shift in how we perceive and use antibiotics.
Both Sally and Charlie advocate for such deep behavioural change, believing it key to driving meaningful societal progress. In fact, the motto of Charlie’s SaaS company, Culture15, is that by focussing on behaviours and attitudes, it’s possible to foster a culture of responsibility and resilience – be it in public health or organisational settings.
Listen to the full episode featuring Dame Sally Davies on Culture de-cooded – a forum for leaders challenging traditions to change the world – available on all major podcast channels.