The knowledge gained from research on animals helps each one of us every day - even out pets' benefit. Without animal research, millions of people would die from a variety of illnesses and millions more who are ill would not be able to lead active lives.
Whether you have had vaccinations as a child or have used products that have been safety tested, every single member of your family will have benefited from research on animals. Every one of you has probably taken a medicine at some time or another. Some of you may even have to take medicines every day to keep you well.
Have you ever needed to take painkillers, cough medicine, asthma inhalers or antibiotics?
Medicines like antibiotics are given for infections in the chest, eye, ear, tummy etc. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine living without antibiotics, but your grandparents may be able to remember life before these medicines were available - why not ask them?
Before antibiotics hundreds of thousands of people died each year of infections that are easily treated today. Some infections are resistant to antibiotics - have you heard of MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Scientists are continuing to work to find treatments for these infections that threaten the lives of hospital patients.
Sadly, people and animals still die from illnesses like cancer, heart attacks and lung disease. So we still need new and better medicines to help sick people and animals.
Cancer and cardiovascular disease are the two main causes of death in the UK. Important advances have been made but these two illnesses continue to kill people at an early age.
Despite the enormous progress that has been made using animals in medical research there are still many people who live with, and die from, medical conditions that cannot be properly treated. Much more research needs to be done to understand these conditions better and find ways to prevent and treat them.
