CLIMATE change and failure to meet sustainable development strategies could contribute to an increase in the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2050, according to an international study.
The authors project that AMR could increase by up to 2.4% globally by 2050, representing a rise from 1.14 million deaths globally, in 2021 to over two million deaths by 2050.
Deaths disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and authors have called for urgent action to address broader socioeconomic and environmental factors beyond simply reducing antibiotic use to mitigate the global burden of AMR.
Sustainable development efforts, such as lowering out-of-pocket health expenses, expanding immunisation coverage, increasing health investments and ensuring universal access to water, sanitary and hygiene services, could reduce the future prevalence of AMR, the authors pointed out.
"Findings show that AMR trajectories will diverge sharply depending on national development strategies, with LMICs facing especially steep challenges under climate change pressures, " said co-author Professor Chaojie Liu of La Trobe University.
"Critically, the research underscores that focusing solely on antibiotic overuse is insufficient," he said.
Read the paper HERE.
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