UN coordinating group on drug resistance says it could be as catastrophic as the 2008-2009 slowdown, that caused a global financial crisis
A groundbreaking report on drug resistance has warned that drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. The damage to the economy, the report warned, could be as catastrophic as the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty. UN Ad hoc Interagency Coordinating Group on Antimicrobial Resistance who released the report called for immediate, coordinated and ambitious action to avert a potentially disastrous drug-resistance crisis.
Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases, including
230,000 people who die from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases, including
230,000 people who die from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. More and more common
diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections and urinary
tract infections, are untreatable; lifesaving medical procedures are becoming much riskier,
and our food systems are increasingly precarious.
The world is already feeling the economic and health consequences as crucial medicines
become ineffective. Without investment from countries in all income brackets, future
generations will face the disastrous impacts of uncontrolled antimicrobial resistance.
Recognizing that human, animal, food and environmental health are closely interconnected,
the report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral “One Health” approach.
It recommends countries:
- prioritize national action plans to scale-up financing and capacity-building efforts;
- put in place stronger regulatory systems and support awareness programs for
responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials by professionals in human, animal and
plant health; - invest in ambitious research and development for new technologies to combat
antimicrobial resistance; - urgently phase out the use of critically important antimicrobials as growth
promoters in agriculture.
“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats we face as a global community. This
report reflects the depth and scope of the response needed to curb its rise and protect a
century of progress in health,” said Ms. Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
and Co-Chair of the IACG. “It rightly emphasizes that there is no time to wait and I urge all
stakeholders to act on its recommendations and work urgently to protect our people and
planet and secure a sustainable future for all.”
The recommendations require immediate engagement across sectors, from governments
and the private sector, to civil society and academia. Convened at the request of world leaders after the first ever UN High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2016, the expert group brought together partners across the UN, International organizations and individuals with expertise across human, animal and plant health, as well as the food, animal feed, trade, development and environment sectors, to formulate a blueprint for the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
