For many infections, first-line treatments are no longer proving as effective as previously. Alternative treatments are not easily accessible in all parts of the world and resistance to them is also mounting. There are few new antimicrobials in the pipeline. Together, these factors make AMR an emerging crisis.
Unchecked AMR could reduce the world’s working-age population by two million per year by 2050, impacting labour-intensive sectors.
Limited focus on antibiotic use in the food sector may result in drug-resistant animal diseases, leading to reduced food production.
Research into new antibiotics will move slowly but artificial intelligence may offer solutions in the longer term.
The vast differences in national AMR action plans, resource availability and access to finance could increase global health disparities.
