The British Cleaning Council urges the Chief Medical Officer to push for increased cleanliness in public spaces as part of a combined response to the threat posed by a new wave of “superbugs” .

Secretary General, Andrew Large, said: “Though incentives for discovering new antibiotics and reducing prescription levels are crucial, I urge the CMO to ensure that approaches for reducing bacteria transmission are given prominence.”

Mr Large stressed that proper strategies to sanitize public spaces such as offices, schools, shopping centres and public buildings are vital preventative measures.

“As antibiotic resistance increases, cleaning will become even more important to health globally. Effective cleaning will become a key factor in the difference between excellent and under performing schools, booming business and a stagnant economy, and whether our hospitals are able to cope.”

BCC member, the World Federation of Building Service Contractors in in the process of updating its report into Cleaning For Health, due for release in April 2013. The report outlines the WFBSC vision for preventing the spread of disease and will be a key priority within the BCC’s policy framework.

To find out more about the Cleaning For Health Project, click here: www.cleaning-for-health.org