A new report published in the medical journal Lancet reveals that antimicrobial resistance in general and antibiotic resistance in particular has become the leading cause of death worldwide.
This study, conducted across more than 200 countries and territories, indicates that antimicrobial resistance is responsible for approximately 3,500 deaths each day. This figure exceeds the mortality caused by HIV/AIDS and malaria, according to the Guardian.
Antimicrobial resistance directly caused the deaths of over 1.2 million people in 2019. (Photo: BBC).
In 2019, the total number of deaths directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance exceeded 1.2 million. This may still be an incomplete statistic. Among these, many individuals died from common diseases that are usually easily treatable.
“The new data illustrates the true scale of antimicrobial resistance globally, sending a clear signal that we need to act immediately to address this threat,” said Professor Chris Murray, co-author of the report.
“If we do not want to be left behind in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we need to leverage this data to take appropriate action and drive innovation,” he emphasized.
The report highlights that policymakers need to optimize antibiotic use, increase efforts in monitoring and controlling infections, and invest in the development of new antibiotics and treatment drugs.
According to estimates from health experts, the regions most severely affected by antimicrobial resistance are Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The mortality rates due to antimicrobial resistance in these two regions are 24 and 22 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively.
“Behind these new statistics are families and communities suffering from the silent ‘pandemic’ known as antimicrobial resistance,” said Dame Sally Davies, the UK government’s special envoy on antimicrobial resistance. “We must use this data as a warning signal to drive action at all levels.”
