President Barack Obama wants the U.S. to invest much more in fighting antibiotic-resistant germs to prevent re-emergence of diseases conquered long ago.
The White House said Tuesday that Obama will ask Congress to nearly double its funding to fight antibiotic resistance to $1.2 billion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 23,000 Americans die every year from infections that can withstand some of the best antibiotics. The World Health Organization said last year that bacteria resistant to antibiotics have spread to every part of the world and might lead to a future where minor infections could kill.
Obama's proposal would fund research into new antibiotics, monitoring of outbreaks and address resistance at veterans' and military hospitals. It also would fund efforts to prevent overprescription of antibiotics.
