Rise of AMR could result in up to 10 million annual deaths by 2050: UN report

The dangerous rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could result in 10 million deaths annually by 2050. This would be on par with the 2020 rate of global deaths from cancer. This new information came to light with a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released February 7, 2023. The report Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance was launched at the Sixth Meeting of the Global Leaders Group on AMR held in Barbados.

The report noted that AMR threat could have an extreme economic toll, pushing 24 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030. Increased use and misuse of antimicrobials and other microbial stressors, such as pollution, create favourable conditions for microorganisms to develop resistance both in humans and the environment from sources such as sewage.

Hence, the reduction of pollution in crucial sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture and healthcare is critical to contain the spread of superbugs which have become resistant to antibiotics.

The report also noted that climate change, characterised by a warming world and increasing extreme weather events, is another reason behind the rise in AMR. AMR is already among the top 10 threats to global health. The report noted that some 1.27 million deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections globally and 4.95 million deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR in 2019. According to the new report, planning, regulation and improved pollution and sanitation measures are noted to be critical in the fight against AMR.