A new study published in The Lancet highlights a significant public health crisis in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where approximately 7.5 lakh deaths annually due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are preventable through effective infection control measures. AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist medications that once effectively treated them.
Currently, more than 49 lakh people die annually due to AMR, with the most vulnerable populations being babies, children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. These groups are at a higher risk of contracting bacterial infections. If no action is taken, global deaths, including those of infants and the elderly, will continue to rise significantly.
The study recommends urgent global action and sustainable access to antibiotics. AMR has long been seen as either not important enough or too complicated to address, but co-author Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder and president of the One Health Trust, stressed that immediate action is required and that useful instruments are available.
Infection prevention measures, such as hand hygiene, regular cleaning, and sterilization of equipment in healthcare facilities, are critical. Providing universal access to safe drinking water, effective sanitation, and pediatric vaccines can prevent a significant number of AMR-related deaths. For instance, improving infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities could save up to 3.37 million lives annually.
Similarly, providing universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation in community settings could prevent around 2.5 lakh deaths each year. Extending the vaccination program, such as pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia and meningitis, and introducing new vaccines, like RSV vaccines for pregnant women, could save an additional 1.82 lakh lives annually.
The study highlights the critical role of effective antibiotics in prolonging lives, reducing disabilities, and enabling life-saving medical actions such as surgery. However, the rise of AMR, accelerated by the inappropriate use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatens the backbone of modern medicine, leading to deaths and diseases that could have been prevented.
Co-author Iruka Okeke of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria emphasized that it is critical for patients everywhere to have access to potent antibiotics. Achieving the UN sustainable development objectives for child survival and good aging is at risk if these antibiotics are not made available.
The study also emphasizes the need for antibiotic management to reduce the selection pressure on bacteria to develop resistance. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of antibiotic management in LMICs, making it difficult to anticipate the effects of such interventions.
Co-author Esmita Charani of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, called for urgent studies to investigate the impact of antibiotic stewardship in LMICs to inform future policies and interventions. The findings indicate that prioritizing public health actions to prevent infections is essential to tackling AMR.
The authors of the study believe that the next high-level meeting of the UN will guarantee international commitment to combating AMR. It is possible to reduce the number of AMR-related deaths in LMICs by 10% by 2030 by enhancing immunization programs, water and sanitation systems, and infection control practices.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
