"Study Predicts 'Superbugs' Could Cause Tens of Millions of Deaths by 2050"
Scientists predict that over 39 million people could die from drug-resistant infections in the next 25 years. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A recent study published in The Lancet medical journal predicts that antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to the deaths of over 39 million people globally over the next 25 years, along with an additional 169 million expected to die from related factors.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, and other germs evolve to resist the medications designed to combat them, resulting in the emergence of “superbugs.” This development makes infections increasingly difficult or impossible to treat and can facilitate their spread.
The study anticipates a nearly 70% increase in deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2050, rising from 1.14 million recorded deaths in 2021 to an expected 1.91 million annually. It also indicates that AMR will likely contribute to 8.2 million deaths per year, up from 4.71 million.
Conducted by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance Project, the study offers a thorough analysis of mortality data and hospital records across 204 countries and territories, generating mortality estimates for a 30-year timeframe.
The research highlights a “remarkable” reduction in AMR fatalities among children under 5, which decreased from 488,000 to 193,000 between 1990 and 2022, with projections to halve again by 2050. In contrast, the death rates for other age groups are climbing, particularly for adults over 70, where fatalities are expected to increase by 146% by 2050, rising from 512,353 to 1.3 million.
While the report noted that AMR fatalities in 2021 were lower than in 2019, it suggested this decrease might have been influenced by Covid-related restrictions.
Researchers identified South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, along with nations in sub-Saharan Africa, as likely facing the highest AMR mortality rates by 2050.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, and other germs evolve to resist the medications designed to combat them, resulting in the emergence of “superbugs.” This development makes infections increasingly difficult or impossible to treat and can facilitate their spread.
The study anticipates a nearly 70% increase in deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2050, rising from 1.14 million recorded deaths in 2021 to an expected 1.91 million annually. It also indicates that AMR will likely contribute to 8.2 million deaths per year, up from 4.71 million.
Conducted by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance Project, the study offers a thorough analysis of mortality data and hospital records across 204 countries and territories, generating mortality estimates for a 30-year timeframe.
The research highlights a “remarkable” reduction in AMR fatalities among children under 5, which decreased from 488,000 to 193,000 between 1990 and 2022, with projections to halve again by 2050. In contrast, the death rates for other age groups are climbing, particularly for adults over 70, where fatalities are expected to increase by 146% by 2050, rising from 512,353 to 1.3 million.
While the report noted that AMR fatalities in 2021 were lower than in 2019, it suggested this decrease might have been influenced by Covid-related restrictions.
Researchers identified South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, along with nations in sub-Saharan Africa, as likely facing the highest AMR mortality rates by 2050.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
