The world’s demand for antibacterials (antibiotics) is steadily
growing. Since their discovery in the 20th century, antibiotics
have substantially reduced the threat of infectious diseases.
The use of these “miracle drugs”, combined with improvements
in sanitation, housing, food, and the advent of mass
immunization programs, led to a dramatic drop in deaths from
diseases that were once widespread and often fatal. Over the
years, antibiotics have saved lives and eased the suffering of
millions. By keeping many serious infectious diseases under
control, these drugs also contributed to the increase in life
expectancy during the latter part of the 20th century.