Antimicrobial Resistance Is Being Called A Sustainable Development Issue
Friday, May 10, 2019
By Christine Ro
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an awkward mouthful. It’s also –no exaggeration– one of the most pressing threats to human existence. It’s already responsible for over 750,000 deaths each year. And looking ahead, in a world where antibiotics are useless, a single scrape could be deadly. An AMR pandemic could kill more people each year than cancer. Diseases under control in wealthy parts of the world could stage a dramatic comeback. In general, much of the progress that’s been made on global health could be undone.
The language might seem apocalyptic, but the effects can already be seen. Gonorrhea is starting to become untreatable, though in the past it was relatively easy to treat with penicillin and other antibiotics. In the EU, 37,000 patients die each year from infections contracted during hospital stays. Over 60% of these deaths are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Photo courtesy of psyberartist.
Source: Forbes (link opens in a new window)
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