Health
Superbugs Death Toll Could Swell by Millions Over Coming Years
- Study says deaths from antimicrobial resistance set to rise
- New strategies needed to reduce the risk of severe infections
Antimicrobial resistance, which is also known as AMR and occurs when germs become resistant to drugs, is expected to worsen over the coming decades.
Photographer: William West/AFP/Getty Images
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More than 39 million people could die globally from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, according to a study published in The Lancet.
Antimicrobial resistance, which is also known as AMR and occurs when germs become resistant to drugs, is expected to worsen over the coming decades. Already more than one million people have died each year between 1990 and 2021 as a direct result of AMR, according to the study which analyzes global trends of the public health threat over time.