Beth Bell

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Race We Can't Afford to Lose: Outsmarting Superbugs

Larry Brilliant, Beth Bell, Victoria Nahum, Lance Price, Andy von Eschenbach

Public health leaders convened to address the critical obsolescence of U.S. disease surveillance technology, which currently lags behind the rapid, cost-effective capabilities of Advanced Molecular Detection required to combat antimicrobial resistance and food-borne threats. Panelists detailed the catastrophic societal costs of preventable infections, including specific cases where delayed diagnostics contributed to mortality, while arguing that federal inaction represents the single greatest immediate risk to national security and public safety. The discussion concluded with a unified call for mandatory antibiotic stewardship, standardized genomic testing, and medical diplomacy to secure global health infrastructure before emerging pathogens outpace current diagnostic limitations.