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(Narrator) Antibiotics have saved millions of lives since the 1940s when they were first introduced.

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They’ve reduced conditions like pneumonia and infections caused by staph.

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Cancer treatments or surgeries like C-sections and joint replacements are common place, because antibiotics can prevent infections that could otherwise follow.

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But imagine a future where antibiotics can’t keep us safe.

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This is a real problem and it’s called antimicrobial resistance or AMR.

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AMR happens when disease causing bad bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics used to kill them.

00:42

Taking antibiotics destroys a lot of bad bacteria; however, a few resistant bacteria can survive.

00:49

These can multiply and spread to other people.

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The main cause of AMR is antibiotic use, so while antibiotics are essential to modern medicine, the more antibiotics Australians use - and we use a lot - the faster resistant bacteria develop.

01:09

Resistant infections are already causing some deaths.

01:12

In a worst-case scenario there would be no effective antibiotics left to treat infections.

01:19

The good news is that AMR can be slowed if we all work to use less antibiotics.

01:25

For a start, only take antibiotics that a doctor prescribes for your condition and follow your doctor’s directions.

01:32

Antibiotics only fight bacteria.

01:34

They'll do nothing against viruses; in fact antibiotics can give you side effects such as rash, upset stomach or diarrhoea.

01:42

You don’t want to risk these if the antibiotics won’t help, so only use antibiotics as directed.

01:49

Don’t share antibiotics and save them for another time.

01:52

Ask your doctor how long you need to take the antibiotics as you might not need the full pack.

01:57

We can also cut down on antibiotic use by preventing infections spreading in the first place.

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Regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and keeping your vaccinations up to date, are simple but powerful ways to keep everyone healthy.

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For more information visit amr.gov.au or speak to your doctor together we can put the brakes on AMR, keeping valuable antibiotic treatments for generations to come.