Antibiotic Resistance Deaths Could Reach 39 Million by 2050
A new study published in The Lancet has issued a grave warning about the future of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), projecting that by 2050, over 39 million people globally could die from infections resistant to antibiotics. The study “Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance 1990–2021” highlights the growing threat of AMR, which could cause more than 1.91 million deaths annually by 2050.
Dramatic Increase in AMR-Related Deaths
The study highlights a nearly 70 per cent increase in annual deaths caused by AMR compared to 2022. The researchers predict that AMR-related deaths will rise from 4.71 million in 2022 to 8.22 million by 2050, with the greatest impact felt in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These regions will bear the heaviest burden of AMR deaths due to their vulnerable healthcare systems.
Sub-Saharan Africa Severely Affected
Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, is among the regions expected to be hit hardest by antimicrobial resistance. The study revealed that this region already experiences 23.5 deaths per 100,000 people due to AMR, including conditions like sepsis. The rise in AMR-related fatalities will worsen public health challenges in African nations, where access to quality healthcare is often limited.
Nigerian Babies Found with Resistant Bacteria
Gavi’s previous study, reported by West Africa Weekly, revealed that antibiotic resistance is already affecting newborns in Nigeria. Researchers analysed samples from mothers and infants in Kano and Abuja between 2015 and 2017 and discovered that 1 per cent carried colistin-resistant bacteria, despite neither the mothers nor the infants receiving the antibiotic. This early presence of resistance poses a significant threat to public health.
AMR and Its Global Impact
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the effects of antibiotics. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified AMR as one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, driven by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals. AMR could severely impact treatment success rates for common infections, surgeries, and cancer therapies.
Urgent Action Needed to Combat AMR
The rise in antibiotic-resistant infections demands urgent global action to curb the overuse of antibiotics and develop new treatments. Without intervention, AMR could reverse decades of medical progress and lead to millions of preventable deaths, particularly in vulnerable regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Public health campaigns and stricter regulations on antibiotic use are essential to mitigating the growing threat.
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