Recently, a report published in The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance noted that, unless serious action is taken to address the problem of antibiotic-resistant drugs, then society should brace themselves for devastating changes starting in 2050. The report states that, if the situation is not brought under control, upwards of 10 million people will likely die every year, while costing hundreds of trillions of dollars in attempts to resolve the problem.
The predicted annual mortality rate means that more people would die than those who currently die annually from cancer, a disease that’s known to attack the body, often with relentless vigor. However, the potential problem isn’t limited strictly to antibiotics either. Jim O’Neill, an economist who is also the chair of The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, and involved with the published paper, explained that the situation involves all antimicrobials — an entire class of drugs that includes antibiotics as well as antiparasitics, antivirals and antifungals. FULL REPORT
