Study: Preventing antibiotic-resistant infection surge could save millions

Editor's Note

Research shows antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to 8.2 million deaths annually by 2050, representing a 75% increase from current rates, according to a September 17 article in HealthDay.

Published in the Lancet, the new study highlights the growing threat of growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), predicting that more than 39 million people could die directly from such infections during the next 25 years and another 169 million deaths “would be associated with these superbugs,” HealthDay reports.

Led by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Institute of Health Metrics at the University of Washington, the study used data from 204 countries to project trends related to 22 antibiotic-resistant germs and 11 infectious syndromes, including sepsis and meningitis. Researchers estimate that 1.9 million deaths in 2050 will be directly caused by resistant bacteria, an increase of nearly 70% compared to 2022. Elderly populations are at particular risk.

According to the article, potential mitigating strategies cited by researchers include vaccines, new antibiotics, and more effective use of existing drugs.