A superbug crisis has arisen because microbes are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and other antimicrobials. Yet, patients’ lifestyles, cultural beliefs around illness and treatment, and the vast diversity of public, private, and unregulated healthcare providers were common barriers to accessing or correctly understanding the test.
Research led by the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, involving a new finger-prick blood test (C-reactive protein) to help nurses and doctors decide whether their patients need antibiotic treatment.