The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) worldwide, borne by international travellers, is a timely reminder that infections do not respect borders. Similarly, resistant bacteria pose a growing problem, clinically and economically, across the world. And international problems need international answers. So, a new initiative is taking aim at resistant bacterial infections by encouraging a radical change in prescribing practices worldwide. The Academy for Infection Management (AIM), supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca, is a global educational programme that brings together leading experts from a variety of specialities. The academy has two aims. First, AIM will"address the current crisis in hospital morbidity and mortality that has arisen partly as a result of inappropriate use of antibiotics". Second, AIM plans to"radically change the treatment paradigm for serious nosocomial infections to improve patient outcomes and save lives".