England’s former chief medical officer says the world faces a growing risk of antimicrobial resistance, which could result in the loss of tens of millions of lives over the coming quarter century.
Dame Sally Davies says routine procedures, like childbirth, could become increasingly life-threatening due to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria.
“About a million people die every year because of the spread of microbial resistance, and that figure will rise over the next 25 years. It is really scary,” said Davies, per The Guardian.
By 2050, estimates forecast that AMR death rates will have doubled, with nearly 40 million people succumbing to superbugs by that time. The impact, however, will be felt more by older people.
“Recent data shows AMR is going down in the under-fives, which is good news. For the over-70s, mortality rates have gone up 80% since 1990; that is very concerning,” added Davies.
Overprescription and misuse of antibiotics are some ways resistance spreads, but they are not the only ones. Roughly 70% of all antibiotics are given to livestock, which creates an environment where resistance can evolve, independent of how humans use the medication.
Davies explained that waterways can be contaminated with antibiotics when in close proximity to intensive farming that uses the substance. Hospitals with inadequate sewage systems also pose a threat to introducing resistant bacteria into the water supply.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 15% jump in the number of superbug infections and deaths linked to these infections.
One potential culprit for the spike was the extensive use of antibiotics during the pandemic: nearly 80% of COVID-19 patients used antibiotics between March 2020 and October 2020. Since these patients were infected with a virus, not bacteria, the antibiotics likely did not help but, instead, exacerbated the growing superbug risk.