Ex-UK Health Chief Warns: 40 Million Could Die from Antibiotic Resistance
Former health chief for England, Sally Davies, has issued a stern warning that antimicrobial resistance could lead to the deaths of 40 million people globally within the next 25 years. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Pharmaceutical corporations find it financially unattractive to develop new antimicrobial drugs, according to Sally Davies.
Sally Davies, the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and former chief medical officer for England, warned in an interview with the Observer that unchecked antimicrobial resistance could result in 40 million deaths by 2050.
Antimicrobial resistance arises when bacteria, viruses, and other germs develop resistance to medications, leading to the emergence of “superbugs.” This makes it increasingly difficult to treat targeted infections.
Davies referred to AMR as an escalating “antibiotic emergency” that jeopardizes routine medical procedures such as surgery and childbirth, potentially leading to life-threatening situations. Presently responsible for around one million deaths each year, this figure could rise dramatically by 2050. She highlighted that older individuals are especially at risk, with mortality rates among those over 70 increasing by 80% since 1990.
Despite initiatives aimed at curbing antibiotic prescriptions and misuse, roughly 70% of all antibiotics globally are utilized in livestock, which contributes to the spread of resistant bacteria.
“We’re essentially throwing antibiotics at cows and chickens and sheep as cheap alternatives to giving them growth promoters or prophylactics to prevent the spread of disease,” Davies stated. “If you’ve got intensive farming where a lot of antibiotics are used or a busy hospital that has a poor sewage system, resistant bacteria can get into waterways.”
Bacteria evolve rapidly, reproducing every 20 minutes, and can spread through environmental factors such as wind and rain, making containment more challenging. “They also mutate a great deal, and if they do so in the presence of antibiotics and that mutation protects them, these strains will multiply,” Davies explained.
“This is how pernicious this problem has become,” she emphasized, highlighting that addressing the dangerous traits of AMR requires both prudent use of existing antibiotics and the innovation of new ones.
However, as Davies noted, the financial incentives for developing new antibiotics are insufficient for pharmaceutical companies, who find blood pressure and cancer drugs—typically taken daily or over extended periods—far more lucrative.
The discovery of penicillin in the late 1920s significantly improved human lifespan by up to 30 years by effectively combating bacterial infections, yet this progress now faces serious threats.
Recent research published in The Lancet medical journal revealed that antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to over 39 million deaths globally over the next quarter-century, with an additional 169 million projected to die from related causes. Additionally, German doctors have raised alarms about the potential return to a pre-penicillin era, as reported by Bild in October.
The medical sector has made slow advancements in antibiotic development, facing challenges such as lengthy and costly research processes paired with low profitability. Professor Yvonne Mast, a microbiologist and researcher at the Leibniz Institute in Braunschweig, indicated that since 2017, only 13 new antibiotics have received approval, with merely two classified as innovative based on new chemical classes by the World Health Organization.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Sally Davies, the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and former chief medical officer for England, warned in an interview with the Observer that unchecked antimicrobial resistance could result in 40 million deaths by 2050.
Antimicrobial resistance arises when bacteria, viruses, and other germs develop resistance to medications, leading to the emergence of “superbugs.” This makes it increasingly difficult to treat targeted infections.
Davies referred to AMR as an escalating “antibiotic emergency” that jeopardizes routine medical procedures such as surgery and childbirth, potentially leading to life-threatening situations. Presently responsible for around one million deaths each year, this figure could rise dramatically by 2050. She highlighted that older individuals are especially at risk, with mortality rates among those over 70 increasing by 80% since 1990.
Despite initiatives aimed at curbing antibiotic prescriptions and misuse, roughly 70% of all antibiotics globally are utilized in livestock, which contributes to the spread of resistant bacteria.
“We’re essentially throwing antibiotics at cows and chickens and sheep as cheap alternatives to giving them growth promoters or prophylactics to prevent the spread of disease,” Davies stated. “If you’ve got intensive farming where a lot of antibiotics are used or a busy hospital that has a poor sewage system, resistant bacteria can get into waterways.”
Bacteria evolve rapidly, reproducing every 20 minutes, and can spread through environmental factors such as wind and rain, making containment more challenging. “They also mutate a great deal, and if they do so in the presence of antibiotics and that mutation protects them, these strains will multiply,” Davies explained.
“This is how pernicious this problem has become,” she emphasized, highlighting that addressing the dangerous traits of AMR requires both prudent use of existing antibiotics and the innovation of new ones.
However, as Davies noted, the financial incentives for developing new antibiotics are insufficient for pharmaceutical companies, who find blood pressure and cancer drugs—typically taken daily or over extended periods—far more lucrative.
The discovery of penicillin in the late 1920s significantly improved human lifespan by up to 30 years by effectively combating bacterial infections, yet this progress now faces serious threats.
Recent research published in The Lancet medical journal revealed that antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to over 39 million deaths globally over the next quarter-century, with an additional 169 million projected to die from related causes. Additionally, German doctors have raised alarms about the potential return to a pre-penicillin era, as reported by Bild in October.
The medical sector has made slow advancements in antibiotic development, facing challenges such as lengthy and costly research processes paired with low profitability. Professor Yvonne Mast, a microbiologist and researcher at the Leibniz Institute in Braunschweig, indicated that since 2017, only 13 new antibiotics have received approval, with merely two classified as innovative based on new chemical classes by the World Health Organization.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
