The results of the most comprehensive study to date on infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been released. According to the research, more than 1.2 million people in the world died in 2019 as a result of infections caused by these bacteria.
That’s higher than the annual number of deaths linked to malaria or AIDS.
The overuse of antibiotics for minor infections in recent years has made them less effective against serious infections.
People die from common infections that were previously treatable because the bacteria that cause these diseases become resistant to treatment.
Children and poor countries are the most vulnerable groups to die from antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to the study.
Additional 5 million deaths
According to a new study conducted by international researchers led by the University of Washington and published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, in addition to the 1.2 million deaths, the number of people who die from the indirect effects of AMR is approximately 5 million.
For comparison, AIDS is thought to have caused 860,000 deaths and malaria 640,000 deaths in the same year.
Using patient records from hospitals, previous scientific studies, and other data sources from 204 countries, the study found that the majority of AMR-related deaths were caused by lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia, and bloodstream infections, which can lead to sepsis.
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria) was particularly deadly, while E. coli and several other bacterial strains were found to be associated with high levels of drug resistance.
One-fifth of deaths affect children under the age of 5
Research says young children are the highest risk group. According to this, 1 out of every 5 deaths due to AMR affects children under the age of 5.
However, poor countries are the most vulnerable group. The rates of deaths due to AMR are estimated to be as follows:
- Highest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with 24 deaths per 100,000 people
- Lowest at 13 per 100,000 in high-income countries
Professor at the University of Washington Health Metrics and Evaluation Institute. Dr. Chris Murray said the new data reveal the true scale of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, and this is a clear signal for urgent action.
Other experts said that better monitoring of resistance levels in different countries and regions is essential.
A ‘hidden epidemic’ that may emerge after Covid-19
From the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy in Washington, Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan said that global spending on AMR should rise to the same levels as other diseases, adding:
“Expenditures should be directed primarily to the prevention of infections, the correct and rational use of existing antibiotics, and the introduction of new antibiotics to the market.”
Dr Laxminarayan noted that most of the world’s population faces shortages of access to affordable, effective antibiotics and this needs to be taken seriously by policy and health authorities everywhere.
The report states that antimicrobial resistance threatens everyone’s health.
Health officials in the UK have recently said there is a “hidden epidemic” that could occur post-Covid-19 if antibiotics are not prescribed responsibly.