A major study published in The Lancet on Monday, September 16, 2024, has discovered the growing global threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, a.k.a. superbugs. The research carried out by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project indicates that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could culminate in over 39 million deaths.
These deaths can be directly attributed to resistant infections. By 2050, the study projects an additional 130 million deaths from the same cause. The study analyzed over 520 million records spanning 204 countries. The news comes on the heels of an imminent United Nations General Assembly convention in New York, where global leaders will ratify a treaty designed to tackle the rising threat to public health.
Superbug targets older adults more, study finds
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) refers to when bacteria or other pathogens evolve to, as the name suggests, start resisting antimicrobial medications designed to kill them. This can be attributed to the excessive usage of such medicines across the entire animal kingdom, including plants. According to the World Health Organization,
"Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens."
The study, published in the journal The Lancet and carried out by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, examined over 204 countries over 30 years. Executed by more than 500 researchers, it is projected that South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean will take the biggest hits in mortality rates about 25 years from now.
According to Mohsen Naghavi, a professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and co-author of the study,
“Antimicrobial medicines are one of the cornerstones of modern healthcare, and increasing resistance to them is a major cause for concern. These findings highlight that AMR has been a significant global health threat for decades and that this threat is growing."
According to lead author Dr. Chris Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, it will "get worse."
“We need appropriate attention on new antibiotics and antibiotic stewardship so that we can address what is really quite a large problem."
The research also noted that the older generations were going to bear the brunt of the superbug impacts. For example, from 1990 to 2021, superbug-related deaths declined by about 50% in children under five. Conversely, they skyrocketed to over 80% among adults aged 70 and older. The study also noted that the regions most affected are South Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Murray reflected on these findings, noting that they were astonishing. He said:
“We had these two opposite trends going on: a decline in AMR deaths under age 15, mostly due to vaccination, water and sanitation programs, some treatment programs, and the success of those. And at the same time, there’s this steady increase in the number of deaths over age 50."
The Lancet study outlined several preventative measures against the superbug, such as improved infection control, better access to healthcare, the development of new antibiotics, and curtailing its use when not needed.
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These superbugs can culminate in an extra $1 trillion in healthcare costs by 2050 and a 3.8% hit to the global GDP. The report notes that while the United Nations acknowledged the gravity of the superbug in 2016, nothing has been done to tackle the issue. The New York United Nations General Assembly convention, set to tackle the superbug-related problems, is slated for September 24.
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