Urgent global action is needed to combat antimicrobial resistance

A new Lancet Series calls for urgent global action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to prevent 750,000 deaths annually through available vaccines, water and sanitation, and infection control methods. Authors stressed the need for intensified efforts in promoting vaccination, ensuring access to safe water and sanitation, and implementing hospital infection control to reduce infections and antibiotic use. 

The series highlights that nearly 5 million of the 7.7 million global deaths from bacterial infections annually are associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To address this, expanding access to both existing and new antibiotics is crucial. Increased investment in affordable and accessible antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostics is also essential. 

Key recommendations include improving infection prevention methods, such as hand hygiene and equipment sterilisation, which could save up to 337,000 lives a year. Universal access to safe drinking water and effective sanitation could prevent around 247,800 deaths, while expanding pediatric vaccination programs could save 181,500 lives. 

AMR disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including infants, the elderly, and chronically ill patients. Without prioritising AMR now, the global death toll from resistant infections will continue to rise, threatening progress on sustainable development goals.

The series calls for ambitious global targets for 2030, including a 10% reduction in AMR-related mortality and reductions in inappropriate antibiotic use in humans and animals. An independent scientific body is also proposed to guide policy implementation and inform new targets. Immediate global action is essential to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics and safeguard public health.