How Serious Is The Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance

A new global analysis released by The Lancet Journal revealed antibiotic resistance might become the next leading cause of Death. Antibiotic resistance has caused over a million deaths across the world annually between 1990 to 2021.

A collaboration of researchers forming the GRAM (Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance) Project revealed that future deaths from antibiotic resistance can be highest in South Asian countries. These countries will include India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, where 11.8 million deaths are estimated between 2025 and 2050. The researchers shared that deaths due to antibiotic resistance will also be high in sub-Saharan Africa.

It was also revealed that between 1990 and 2021, among people aged 70 or older, deaths increased by 80%. In the future also antibiotic resistance will heavily affect older people. 

Antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance is when bacteria and fungi killer drugs become ineffective because bugs have evolved over time to defeat these drugs. Over the same period, deaths caused by this antimicrobial resistance among children aged 5 or younger have fallen by 50%. 

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One of the collaborators of the GRAM project Kevin Ikuta said “The fall in deaths from sepsis (a bloodstream infection) and antibiotic resistance among young children over the past three decades is an incredible achievement. However, these findings show that while infections have become less common in young children they have become harder to treat when they occur.”

This study was based on data taken from hospitals and deaths of 520 million people in 204 countries. Better access to health care services and antibiotics can save 90 million people from this threat between 2025 and 2050, the study suggested.