10 Million People To Die Annually by 2050

Drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and damage to the economy as disastrous as the 2008-2009 global financial crisis if immediate, coordinated and ambitious action to avert the crisis is not taken.

This is according to the report by the United Nations which disclosed that by 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty.

Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases, including 230,000 people who die from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. More and more common diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, and urinary tract infections, are untreatable; lifesaving medical procedures are becoming much riskier, and our food systems are increasingly precarious.

The world is already feeling the economic and health consequences as crucial medicines become ineffective. Without investment from countries in all income brackets, future generations will face the disastrous impacts of uncontrolled antimicrobial resistance.

Recognizing that human, animal, food and environmental health are closely interconnected, the report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral “One Health” approach.

“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats we face as a global community. This report reflects the depth and scope of the response needed to curb its rise and protect a century of progress in health,” said Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Co-Chair of the IACG. “It rightly emphasizes that there is no time to wait and I urge all stakeholders to act on its recommendations and work urgently to protect our people and planet and secure a sustainable future for all.”

The recommendations require immediate engagement across sectors, from governments and the private sector to civil society and academia.

“The report’s recommendations recognize that antimicrobials are critical to safeguarding food production, safety, and trade, as well as human and animal health, and it clearly promotes responsible use across sectors,” said José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

José Graziano da Silva further added that countries could foster sustainable food systems and farming practices that reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance by working together to promote viable alternatives to antimicrobial use.

“Antimicrobial resistance must be addressed urgently, through a One Health approach involving bold, long-term commitments from governments and other stakeholders, supported by the international organizations,” said Monique Eliot, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE

The report highlights the need for coordinated and intensive efforts to overcome antimicrobial resistance: a major barrier to the achievement of many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including universal health coverage, secure and safe food, sustainable farming systems and clean water and sanitation.

It recommends countries:

• Prioritize national action plans to scale-up financing and capacity-building efforts;
• Put in place stronger regulatory systems and support awareness programs for responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials by professionals in human, animal and plant health;
• Invest in ambitious research and development for new technologies to combat antimicrobial resistance;
• Urgently phase out the use of critically important antimicrobials as growth promoters in agriculture.