Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge — Season 1, Episode 2: Rise of the Superbug
60 min • 1 season, 6 episodes • ★ 10.0/10
Episode synopsis
It's difficult to imagine a world without medicines — and yet, before the twentieth century there weren't any. The discovery of the very first antibiotic, penicillin, and the subsequent development of more "wonder drugs" transformed the face of modern medicine. Rise of the Superbugs chronicles these historic successes, as well as the growing threat posed by new strains of germs, such as tuberculosis and staph, that are resistant to our best antibiotics. Are our strongest medicines becoming obsolete, and can we develop new drugs in time to replace them?
About Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge
From vaccines to antibiotics, clean water to nutrition, bio-terror threats to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the six-part series Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge tells the compelling stories of global health challenges and successes. Employing both historical dramatic sequences and poignant current documentary stories, the series showcases key milestones in public health history, such as the eradication of smallpox, alongside modern and future challenges, including SARS, a potential global flu pandemic and recovery from the Asian tsunami catastrophe.