Global attention is turning this week to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and the “alarmingly slow” development of new antibiotics.
The UN General Assembly is meeting in New York to discuss the potentially catastrophic impacts of antimicrobial resistance.
RMIT antimicrobial treatments specialist Aaron Elbourne said recent research predicted that almost 40 million people would die directly because of drug-resistant infections by 2050.
A further 169 million deaths would have some link to drug-resistant bugs.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), innovation in antibiotic development is alarmingly slow,” Dr Elbourne said.
“In 2021, only 27 new antibiotics were in clinical development against priority pathogens – down from 31 in 2017. This stagnation risks leaving our health systems vulnerable as existing antibiotics become increasingly ineffective.”
Dr Elbourne said antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was one of the greatest threats to global health.
The rise of drug-resistant bacteria and pathogens was undermining decades of medical progress by making infections that were once treatable into potentially lethal conditions.
“Without immediate action, the lack of new antimicrobial treatments will erode not just the effectiveness of antibiotics but also the health gains we’ve achieved over the past century, endangering millions of lives,” Dr Elbourne said.
RMIT immunology and gut health expert Rajaraman Eri said AMR happened when microorganisms no longer responded effectively to medicines.
“The UN General Assembly high-level meeting reflects the urgent need for global action to combat one of the greatest public health threats of our time,” Professor Eri said.
“While political will and measurable targets – which will be the focus of the meeting – are important, there are some critical actions needed to effectively address the challenges of AMR.”
These included:
- Robust surveillance systems that track resistance patterns across human, animal and environmental sectors
- Global data sharing
- Government action to urgently reduce antibiotics use in agriculture, switching to alternatives such as vaccines and probiotics
- Funding for laboratory diagnostics, infection prevention and control measures in low- and middle-income countries, to reduce antibiotic reliance
- New antibiotics (which is not currently lucrative for pharmaceutical companies), alternative therapies and rapid diagnostics
More details are on the United Nations website.
