General Article Antimicrobial resistance now causes more deaths than HIV/AIDS and malaria worldwide – new study

Topic Selected: Global Health Book Volume: 419

Antimicrobial resistance now causes more deaths than HIV/AIDS and malaria worldwide – new study

Some estimates suggest antimicrobial resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. Fahroni/ Shutterstock

Jonathan Cox, Aston University

Antimicrobial resistance is spreading rapidly worldwide, and has even been likened to the next pandemic – one that many people may not even be aware is happening. A recent paper, published in Lancet, has revealed that antimicrobial resistant infections caused 1.27 millions deaths and were associated with 4.95 million deaths in 2019. This is greater than the number of people who died from HIV/AIDS and malaria that year combined.

Antimicobial resistance happens when infection-causing microbes (such as bacteria, viruses or fungi) evolve to become resistant to the drug designed to kill them. This means than an antibiotic will no longer work to treat that infection anymore.

The new findings makes it clear that antimicrobial resistance is progres...

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