Longitude Prize featured in New Dehli Newspaper

Longitude Prize was opened for entries on European Antibiotics Awareness Day, with the aim of rewarding a diagnostic that is able to help conserve antibiotics for future generations. It has been exciting to see the support for Longitude Prize since it opened for entries and the renewed urgency of tackling this huge global problem. The New Dehli Mail Today recently wrote a feature on Longitude Prize; Indian journalist Dinesh C. Sharma drew attention to the fact that the prize is open to competitors of all levels and how important the issue is globally. The Indian initiative known as the Chennai Declaration represents a commitment to begin to tackle this problem across India – Chennai Declaration coordinator Dr Abdul Ghafur is part of Longitude Prize’s Prize Advisory Panel that will judge entries to the Prize.

Read the Mail Today article below and visit the Mail Today website for more information.

ANTIBIOTICS ARE considered the wonder discovery of the 20th century, but the rise of antibiotic resistance is threatening to make them ineffective. The World Health Organization estimates that antibiotics treatments add an average 20 years to all of our lives. But this advantage could vanish if bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics as is already happening.

When you are down with an infection, doctors prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics because of lack of full information about infecting agents.

If the cause of infection is known rapidly, doctors can prescribe appropriate antibiotics thus reducing overuse and preventing further resistance. At present, such tests take too long and are costly. British innovation foundation, Nesta, has announced a whopping 10 million pound prize for anyone who can develop a cheap, accurate, rapid and easy-to-use point of care test kit for bacterial infections.

The antibiotic challenge is open to all including amateur scientists. The foundation believes that such test kits will allow more targeted use of antibiotics, and an overall reduction in misdiagnosis and prescription. This will ensure antibiotics currently available will remain effective for longer and we can continue to control infections during routine and major procedures.