Drug-Resistant Superbugs Could Kill Millions by 2050
The study claims that people 70 and above will be the most affected age group in the antimicrobial resistance deaths
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
A petri dish containing antibiotic-resistant strainsA superbug that’s resistant to drugs could kill millions of people by 2050, according to a new report.
According to a new study published on The Lancet on Monday, Sept. 16, researchers have concluded that if measures are not taken, a superbug could be powerful enough to kill almost 2 million people every year by 2050.
Per the Los Angeles Times, the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance Project (GRAM) adds that a further 8.22 million people could die of causes related to the infections.
According to the GRAM website, the project is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, looking at the risk of antimicrobial resistance and promotion of “the rational use of antimicrobials worldwide.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Woman, 29, Dies After Superbugs Attack Her Organs, Sending Her into Septic Shock
“The numbers in the Lancet paper represent a staggering and unacceptable level of human suffering,” Henry Skinner, chief executive of the AMR Action Fund, said, per the LA Times. “A continued failure of governments to meet their moral obligations to protect and care for their people, as this paper shows, will doom millions of people to needless deaths.”
Shawn Lockhart/CDC via AP
Strain of Candida aurisThe PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
The study claims that people 70 and above will be the most affected age group in the antimicrobial resistance deaths.
The deaths of people aged 70 and over due to AMR increased by 80% between 1990 and 2021, according to the report.
The mortality rate from resistant pathogens across all ages was also estimated to be highest in South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The data shows that if we take action toward better stewardship practices, improved access in low- and middle-income countries, and new investments to bolster the antibiotic pipeline, then we can save tens of millions of lives,” James Anderson, chair of the AMR Industry Alliance, stated, per the LA Times.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
