Preventing a Return to a Pre-Antibiotics Era?

In earlier times, a minor cut could kill, if it became infected. Humans then 'hijacked' chemicals produced by other organisms to out-compete their rivals for resources. For example, Penicillin, was actually a chemical produced by a fungal mould to kill-off rival bacteria. Mass production and purification of the agent, allowed humans to survive even extraordinary injuries/infections. The trouble is, antibiotics exert powerful selection pressures on bacteria. Bacteria also evolve very quickly (they divide in around 30 minutes). This is why antibiotic-resistant 'super-bugs' are such a growing problem. It was estimated that world-wide, in 2019, almost 1.3 million deaths were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In that year, they were also a contributing factor in circa 5 million deaths (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/may/13/what-is-antimicrobial-resistance-and-how-big-a-problem-is-it-antibiotics). It's been suggested that we need a unified approach. Doctors should prescribe antibiotics inappropriately (e.g. for a viral infection). Pharmaceutical companies shouldn't allow their waste products into the environment. Farmers shouldn't use antibiotics as growth factors to boost their meat production and profits. All this has, however, been said for decades. Getting folk, from all parts of the globe, to 'sing from the same hymn sheet', isn't easy. Profits, dear boy, profits!