England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies says that global action is needed to tackle the catastrophic threat of antimicrobial resistance, which in 20 years could see anyone dying following minor surgery.

The warning comes as the second volume of the Chief Medical Officer's annual report is published by the Department of Health, providing a comprehensive overview of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.

Calling for politicians to treat the threat as seriously as MRSA, the report highlights a 'discovery void' with few new antibiotics developed in the past two decades. It highlights that, while a new infectious disease has been discovered nearly every year over the past 30 years, there have been very few new antibiotics developed, leaving the armoury nearly empty as diseases evolve and become resistant to existing drugs.

In addition to encouraging development of new drugs, the report highlights that looking after the current arsenal of antibiotics is equally important. This means using better hygiene measures to prevent infections, prescribing fewer antibiotics and making sure they are only prescribed when needed.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said that in 20 years' time 'routine operations like hip replacements and organ transplants could be deadly because of the risk of infection. Governments and organisations across the world need to take this seriously.'