Superbugs Death Toll Could Swell by Millions Over Coming Years

(Bloomberg) -- More than 39 million people could die globally from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Antimicrobial resistance, which is also known as AMR and occurs when germs become resistant to drugs, is expected to worsen over the coming decades. Already more than one million people have died each year between 1990 and 2021 as a direct result of AMR, according to the study which analyzes global trends of the public health threat over time. 

“This threat is growing,” said Mohsen Naghavi, joint first author of the study and team leader of the AMR research team at the University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. “Antimicrobial medicines are one of the cornerstones of modern healthcare, and increasing resistance to them is a major cause for concern.” 

Bacteria’s growing immunity to many common drugs has been driven by the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. It makes infections harder to treat and raises the risks of surgery, cesarean sections and cancer treatments.

The United Nations brought attention to the topic at a high-profile meeting in 2016, but momentum has since stalled. AMR is now a “systemic risk akin to climate change and nature loss,” an investor group said earlier this month. 

If left unchecked, AMR could lead to an estimated $1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050, as well as a 3.8% loss of global gross domestic product, according to a report published last month. 

“We urgently need new strategies to decrease the risk of severe infections through vaccines, new drugs, improved healthcare, better access to existing antibiotics, and guidance on how to use them most effectively,” said Stein Emil Vollset, joint first author of the study published in the Lancet and affiliate professor at the IHME.  

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