Resistance to antibiotics has become a global health crisis, causing approximately 1 million deaths each year since 1990, according to a recent study conducted by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project. The study, led by the University of Oxford and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), analyzed over 520 million health records and estimated that by 2050, antibiotic resistance could contribute to an additional 39 million fatalities worldwide.

The findings, published in The Lancet, reveal the severity of the situation. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria and other germs become stronger, rendering medications ineffective and giving rise to so-called "superbugs." These superbugs pose a significant health risk as they make infections more difficult, or even impossible, to treat.

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria threatens not only medical advancements but also the overall mortality rates from bacterial infections. Dr. Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, an infectious diseases professor at the University of Nebraska, highlights the critical role antibiotics play in preventing and treating infections in critically ill patients. Without effective antibiotics, medical procedures such as organ transplants and complex surgeries may become riskier and less successful.

Dr. Maureen Tierney from Creighton University School of Medicine emphasizes that this study is the most comprehensive attempt to assess the burden of antimicrobial resistance in terms of disability and death. The researchers discovered that the infection with the largest increase in antibiotic-resistant deaths since 1990 is MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus). MRSA-related deaths rose from 57,200 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2021.

Interestingly, despite the overall increase in antibiotic resistance-related mortality, deaths among children under the age of 5 have been reduced by half since 1990. This decline can be attributed to childhood vaccination programs and improved access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.

However, the sharpest increase in antibiotic-resistant deaths was observed among adults aged 70 and older, with an over 80% rise in fatalities. The researchers predict that these trends will continue, estimating that by 2050, deaths among children under 5 will halve globally, while deaths among people aged 70 and older will more than double.

Geographically, the study identified Western sub-Saharan Africa, tropical Latin America, high-income North America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia as regions experiencing the highest increases in antibiotic-resistant deaths. These findings underline the urgent need for global health leaders to address this issue collectively.

In response to the impending crisis, global health leaders plan to convene at the UN General Assembly next week to devise new strategies for combatting antimicrobial resistance. Potential interventions discussed include infection prevention and control measures, the development of new vaccines and antimicrobials, improved access to water and sanitation, and increased investments in diagnostics, training, and new technologies.

Dr. Tierney emphasizes the importance of vaccination for pneumonia, influenza, COVID, and other diseases in order to decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance. She also calls for "antimicrobial stewardship," which involves the responsible use of antibiotics in humans, animals, and farming. Infection prevention practices, particularly in healthcare facilities, and the development of new antibiotics are also essential in curbing the spread of antibiotic resistance.

While developing new drugs is one approach, Dr. Marcelin cautions against solely relying on drug discovery. Instead, she stresses the need to focus on controlling the spread of resistant organisms through infection control measures. Prescribing antibiotics only when necessary, for the optimal duration, timing, and dosing regimen, and protecting antibiotics as a shared natural resource are vital to maintaining a world where medical advancements continue to reduce mortality from bacterial infections.

As the threat of antibiotic resistance continues to grow, urgent and concerted efforts are required to combat this global health crisis before it exacts an even greater toll on human lives.