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Antimicrobial resistance is a silent killer that leads to 5 million deaths a year. Solutions must include the poor

MORU Bangkok

AMR has been linked to close to 5 million deaths annually. We need urgent global action to counter antimicrobial resistance, but current efforts focus on solutions developed in high-income settings. If we want people to become less dependent on antibiotics, we must address the factors that create dependency on antibiotics in the first place. The solution we are working towards is fair and inclusive; it respects people and their traditions while also benefiting human health, animal welfare and the natural environment.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria © National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Marina Joubert (Science Communication Researcher, Stellenbosch University), Phaik Yeong Cheah (Professor of Global Health, MORU) and Sonia Lewycka (Epidemiologist, OUCRU) post an article in The Conversation for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week, which aims to improve awareness and understanding.

AMR is a global issue, but there are some regional differences. Most human deaths from antimicrobial resistance occur in sub-Saharan Africa; drug resistance is a growing concern in malaria and tuberculosis in these regions. Low-income environments often go hand in hand with the use of cheap antimicrobials that may be of poor quality or even falsified. These create the ideal conditions for resistance to emerge.

Everybody is exposed, everywhere, and the global response needs to be fair to all. The three authors are part of the Global Convening Programme, set up by the British Academy, that looks into solutions to this problem that are fair and inclusive, emphasizing equity and sustainability in the fight against this silent killer.

Read the article 'Antimicrobial resistance is a silent killer that leads to 5 million deaths a year. Solutions must include the poor' on The Conversation website.

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