Pulitzer Center Update August 2, 2024
Can Dangerous ‘Superbugs’ Be Stopped?
Country:
The relationship between conflict and the spread of “superbugs” has been one of increasing concern.
War wounds and drug-resistant infections
On its own, the term “superbugs” doesn't fully capture the threat posed by drug-resistant bacteria. But superbugs are a deadly serious global health concern. That's why the Pulitzer Center was eager to support journalist Eli Cahan’s ambitious new investigation into how war injuries are contributing to the proliferation and spread of new breeds of bacteria.
Each year, superbugs, or antimicrobial resistant organisms (AMRs), are associated with an estimated 5 million deaths around the world. That estimated toll exceeds deaths from HIV and malaria combined, as Cahan, a medical doctor, notes in his piece for Rolling Stone.
Moreover, AMRs surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. And they could spawn new pandemics in the future. Military conflicts have created conditions for drug-resistant bacteria to spread via wounds and battlefield debris.
To trace and humanize this story, Cahan traveled to South Carolina to meet with the mother of a U.S. Marine wounded in the Iraq War 20 years ago. He recounts the tragic struggle to save the Marine from an AMR infection in 2004. Cahan also went to Kyiv to document grueling medical struggles to save wounded Ukrainian troops with AMR infections. Concern is rising that bloodshed in Gaza and in other war-torn regions could also unleash AMRs that spread to civilian populations.
Cahan’s reporting also examined new research into AMRs, and how military and civilian leaders in the U.S. and globally are responding. Bipartisan legislation to spur promising treatments has idled in a polarized U.S. Congress, despite the threat. A 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report cites an estimated 3 million drug-resistant infections a year in the U.S.
Cahan’s story has generated interest among individuals involved with a House Budget Committee roundtable debating action on AMRs. A source told Cahan that the story would be raised at the meeting last week, and the article is now making its way into the hands of members of Congress.
This story is one of many supported by the Pulitzer Center’s Global Health Inequities initiative. Explore more global health reporting here.
Best,
Impact
Through the Pulitzer Center’s K-12 education programming, staff met with 20 Chicago educators for a professional development workshop, “Critical and Empowered Action,” at the University of Chicago. Participants brainstormed on how to teach the Pulitzer Center’s five focus areas: climate and environment, human rights, global health, peace and conflict, and information and artificial intelligence. They also analyzed Center-supported underreported news stories and heard from Corinne Chin, a Chicago-based video journalist-grantee who shared her experience covering issues related to race and identity.
“Corinne was a FANTASTIC speaker and super engaging. And getting to talk to other educators about media and how to use it in the classroom was very exciting,” said Bob Shaffer, an educator at Burley Elementary.
“I plan on using some of the Pulitzer Center’s lesson plans and articles. I also plan to use the [underreported story] questions when introducing a media literacy unit,” said Diana Marques, a Chicago Public Schools substitute and teacher-librarian.
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