To fulfill our vision of a world where CDIs are rare, treatable, and survivable, we need Americans from all walks of life to join our movement by taking action in our fight against this terrible epidemic.
Join One of Our Campaigns
PLF works to stop CDIs at their source by changing public policy at the national and local levels. Our current campaigns are:
- Encouraging Federal legislators to co-sponsor the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Upsurging Resistance (or PASTEUR) Act, which would establish a subscription-style model which would offer antibiotic developers an upfront payment in exchange for access to their antibiotics, encouraging innovation and ensuring our healthcare system is prepared to treat resistant infections.
- Make C. diff Count is our ongoing campaign to have C. diff added to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention’s list of Nationally Notifiable Diseases (NND). Adding C. diff as an NND would require every healthcare facility and provider to report each diagnosed infection to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network and their local health department.
Please check back for new campaigns or sign up for our email list to stay in the loop.
Share Your C. diff Story
The combination of low CDI awareness and shame around feces contributes to the C. diff epidemic. In this context, the stories of CDI survivors and families that have lost a loved one are a powerful tool for raising awareness, busting long-held myths by healthcare workers, and educating the public. If you or a loved one has had a CDI, please share your story to help us raise awareness.
Raise CDI Awareness
Public awareness of CDIs is quite low. Market research by industry partners indicates that less than 1 in 10 Americans has even hard of C. diff, let alone recognizes it as a threat. Yet, in our survey of people who’ve had CDI, the majority stated that prior knowledge of C. diff would have had a positive impact on their being diagnosed and treated. You can help PLF raise awareness of CDIs in the following ways:
- Share PLF’s public service announcement by email or social media
- Share one (or more) of our C. diff Stories
- Share C. diff – Know The Facts with your friends and family
Become An Advocate
Educating the public and changing policies that allow CDIs to harm and kill tens of thousands of Americans is a big task. PLF is committed to building a nationwide movement to create a world where CDIs are rare, treatable and survivable. To fulfill our mission, we need Americans from all walks of life to join us. If you or a loved one has had a CDI, please visit our Become An Advocate page to learn how you can become a member of our Advocates Council.
Report C. diff as Adverse Event from Antibiotic Use
While we know that antibiotic use is a primary risk factor for CDIs, the extent to which specific antibiotics are more risky is largely anecdotal in nature. More research and data is needed to determine which of these medications are inherently more risky fully. If you or a loved one has had a CDI due to taking an antibiotic, you can report it to the Food and Drug Administration as an adverse event. To do so, take the following steps:
- Go to http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/ucm053074.htm
- Select “Report Online”
- Then select Begin Report As a “Consumer/Patient”
- Fill out the form and submit it