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Antibiotic emergency ‘could claim 40 million lives in next 25 years’ (www.theguardian.com)
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Dame Sally Davies has a straightforward message about the coming year. We face a growing antibiotic emergency that could have devastating impacts on men, women and children across the globe, she says.

Davies, a former chief medical officer for England, has become a leading advocate for global action to fight the scourge of superbugs.

She told the Observer that there is a real danger that routine procedures – from surgery to childbirth – could carry widespread life-threatening risks because of the spread of bacteria that possess antimicrobial resistance (AMR). “About a million people die every year because of the spread of microbial resistance, and that figure will rise over the next 25 years,” she said. “It is really scary.”

Estimates suggest that by 2050, death rates from AMRs will have doubled, with figures indicating almost 40 million people will lose their lives to superbugs over the next 25 years, with elderly people especially at risk.

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Antibiotic emergency ‘could claim 40 million lives in next 25 years’ (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/health@lemmy.world
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Summary

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could claim 40 million lives by 2050, with death rates expected to double, warns Dame Sally Davies, former chief medical officer for England.

The overuse of antibiotics in livestock and misuse in healthcare are accelerating the evolution of superbugs, making routine medical procedures riskier.

Elderly populations are especially vulnerable, with AMR-related deaths among over-70s rising 80% since 1990.

Efforts to limit antibiotic use and develop new treatments are hampered by poor incentives for pharmaceutical companies.