A new global analysis predicts that superbugs will kill more than 39 million people by 2050, with older people being particularly at risk. The study, published in the Lancet and conducted by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (Gram) Project, found that deaths linked to drug resistance are declining among very young children but increasing among older adults.
By 2050, 1.91 million people a year are forecast to die directly due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), up from 1.14 million in 2021. AMR is expected to play a role in 8.2 million deaths annually, up from 4.71 million. The study involved more than 500 researchers from around the world and used data from 204 countries and territories.
The study’s author, Dr. Mohsen Naghavi, emphasized the importance of addressing AMR as a major global health threat. Global leaders are set to discuss antimicrobial resistance at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York, with hopes of reducing AMR deaths by 10% by 2030.
While deaths due to infection in young children have decreased, they are increasingly caused by drug-resistant bacteria. On the other hand, the death toll from AMR is rising among older adults, with an 80% increase in deaths among the over-70s in the past three decades.
The study projects that South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh will see the highest numbers of future deaths due to AMR. Improving infection care and widening access to antibiotics could help mitigate the impact of AMR in these regions.
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