Study Projects Over 39 Million Deaths From Antibiotic-Resistant Infections By 2047‌ ‌

The study reveals that more than one million people died each year as a result of AMR between 1990 and 2021. FUSION MEDICAL ANIMATION VIA UNSPLASH.

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More than 39 million people could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, according to new research.

Deaths among children under five years old will continue to decline – halving in 2050 compared to 2022, according to the study.

However, they will be “outpaced” by increases in other age groups—particularly those aged 70 and older, who will see an increase of 146% by 2050, from 512,353 to 1,259,409.

The study, published in The Lancet, is the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends over time.

It reveals that more than one million people died each year as a result of AMR between 1990 and 2021.

The study, by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, also estimates 1.91 million people could potentially die as a direct result of AMR in 2050, an increase of almost 70% per year compared to 2022.

According to the study, the number of deaths in which AMR bacteria play a role will increase by almost 75%, from 4.71 million to 8.22 million per year over the same period.

Between 1990 and 2021, AMR deaths among children under five years old declined by 50%, while those among people aged 70 years and older increased by more than 80%.

Those trends are predicted to continue in the coming decades, with AMR deaths among children under five projected to halve by 2050 globally, as deaths among people 70 years and older more than double.

Researchers say their findings highlight a “vital need” for interventions that incorporate infection prevention, vaccination, minimizing inappropriate antibiotic use, and research into new antibiotics to mitigate the number of AMR deaths.