New report warns "superbugs" that could kill 10 million each year without urgent action



[ad_1]

A new report on antimicrobial resistance calls on stakeholders at all levels to take greater action for fear that so-called "super-microbes" will kill 10 million people a year.

"We do not have time to wait," says the report released Monday by the US Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on antimicrobial resistance.

"If the world does not urgently, antimicrobial resistance will have a disastrous impact a generation from now," IACG said.

The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is already deadly: 700,000 people die each year from drug-resistant diseases.

The report also raises the problem of inequality and lack of affordable access, which the report associates with the deaths of "nearly 6 million people each year, including one million children who died from sepsis and sepsis. 'preventable pneumonia'.

The report adds that, according to the worst-case scenario, 10% of deaths per year could be caused by antimicrobial resistance.

According to the IACG, beyond the loss of human lives, uncontrolled RAM would also cause economic damage in the order of "shocks suffered during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 due to the Dramatic increase in health spending, impact on food and feed production, trade and livelihoods, and increased poverty and inequality ".

The problem is not limited to low- and middle-income countries; its reach is global.

Scroll to continue with the content

"Alarming levels of resistance have been reported in countries of all income levels, with the result that common diseases can no longer be treated and lifesaving medical procedures are more risky," says the report. .

"Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats we face as a global community," said Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General and Co-Chair of IACG, in a statement.

"This report reflects the depth and breadth of the response needed to slow its rise and protect a century of progress in health," she said.

Several factors are at the origin of the threat of antimicrobial resistance, including the excessive and excessive use of existing antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants; lack of sanitation and drinking water; transmission of resistant pathogens along the food system; and poor waste management by health, pharmaceutical and agricultural institutions.

To address the multi-faceted threat, the report recommends a "One Health approach" on a scale comparable to that of threats.

Among the recommendations include the end of the use of antimicrobials for the promotion of growth in healthy animals; increased investment in new antimicrobials; improvement of waste management tools; and the development of antimicrobial alternatives.

José Graziano da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), commented on the role of the food system in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

"The report's recommendations recognize that antimicrobials are essential for protecting the production, safety and trade of food, as well as for human and animal health, and that it clearly encourages responsible use in all sectors", said da Silva. "Countries can promote sustainable food systems and agricultural practices that reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance by uniting to promote viable alternatives to antimicrobial use, as outlined in the report's recommendations. "

According to Mohammed of the IACG, the report "rightly points out that there is no time to wait".

"I urge all stakeholders to follow up on its recommendations," she said, "and to work urgently to protect our people and the planet and ensure a sustainable future for all."

[ad_2]

Source link