It is estimated that more than 1.2 million people died that year from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
Researchers sound the alarm in a new study. From an extensive analysis, published in the prestigious trade journal The Lancet, it turns out that in 2019 more than 1.2 million people died from the effects of antimicrobial resistance. And that makes resistant superbugs even more deadly than malaria or AIDS, which claimed 640,000 and 860,000 lives respectively that same year.
Antimicrobial Resistance
We classify the insensitivity of microorganisms to the action of antimicrobials as antibiotics under antimicrobial resistance. The frequent use of antibiotics and similar agents has led to the emergence of super bacteria that have become resistant (insensitive). This resistance has major consequences for the treatment of infections, because infections with resistant microorganisms are more difficult to treat. This significantly increases the risk of serious illness and death. While it was previously estimated that the number of annual deaths could reach ten million by 2050, we now seem to be heading for a much higher number.
The researchers come to this worrisome conclusion after studying 204 countries and territories. Antimicrobial resistance now appears to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
Treatable
The study describes how hundreds of thousands of people today die from the effects of common, previously treatable infections. For example, think of infections of the lower respiratory tract (such as pneumonia) and the bloodstream (which can lead to blood poisoning). But because the bacteria that cause them have become resistant to treatment, such infections are now becoming fatal for many. While antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to people of all ages, young children appear to be particularly at risk, with about one in five deaths occurring in children under the age of five.
Distribution of countries
Although low- and middle-income countries are particularly affected, high-income countries also appear to be unavoidable. Antimicrobial resistance caused the most casualties in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with 24 and 22 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. In high-income countries, antimicrobial resistance led to 13 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019.
MRSA
MRSA is the most feared superbug. This is because the superbug is resistant to treatment with the antibiotic methicillin; a commonly used drug. Researchers estimate that the MRSA bacterium alone claimed at least 100,000 lives in 2019.
True size
According to the researchers, we can’t wait any longer. “The new data reveal the true extent of antimicrobial resistance worldwide,” said study researcher Chris Murray. “It is a clear signal that we must act now to combat the threat. It was previously predicted that antimicrobial resistance would claim around 10 million lives by 2050. But we now know for sure that we are already much closer to that number than we thought.”
Measures
Some of the measures countries can take to protect their health systems include providing more money to develop new antibiotics and treatments, better efforts to monitor and manage infections, and optimized use of antibiotics. And according to the researchers it is best for countries to start as soon as possible.
The report highlights the urgent need to scale up action to combat antimicrobial resistance. “If we want to stay at the forefront of the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we need to use current data to correct our course and drive innovation,” Murray concluded.
–
–
