An alarming new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet reveals a 20% increase in hospital-onset infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and a fivefold increase in candida auris infections during the COVID-19 pandemic — with numbers remaining elevated through 2022. At the same time, proposed CDC budget cuts threaten the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
In an official Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) statement following the release of the CDC fact sheet, SHEA emphasized the critical need for ongoing support of CDC programs that develop prevention strategies, and particularly to control antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Thomas R. Talbot, MD, president of the SHEA Board of Trustees, said, “Sufficient funding for effective infection monitoring practices, accurate laboratory detection and rapid response are critical to limiting harmful resistant infections.”
The call for sustained investment comes at a crucial time, as the House FY2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill proposes significant cuts to health agencies. The bill, passed last week, would reduce CDC funding by 20% and eliminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, while also restructuring the National Institutes of Health.
SHEA warns that these drastic cuts could severely impede efforts to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. The organization is urging House members to reconsider and build upon the investments made in FY2024, ensuring that funding meets the nation’s health needs.
“Enacting these drastic cuts would hinder efforts to combat the advancing threat of antimicrobial resistance,” Talbot said. “We strongly urge House members to reverse course and build on the investments made in FY2024 and fund the FY2025 bill at a level that meets the needs of our nation’s health.”
