The learn focuses on the environmental aspects of AMR, which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to drugs.
It calls for increased action to reduce the emergence, transmission and spread of “superbugs” – strains of bacteria that have become resistant to all known microorganisms – and other cases of AMR, which has caused serious damage to human, animal and plant health.
Another example of inequality
“The environmental crisis of our time is also one of human rights and geopolitics – the report on antibiotic resistance released today by UNEP is another example of inequality. , where the AMR crisis is disproportionately affect countries in the Southern Hemisphere“ speak Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, who chairs a United Nations-backed initiative of world leaders and experts, is looking at the issue.
AMR is among the top 10 global threats to health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2019, an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally were due to drug-resistant infections. Overall, nearly five million people died associated with bacterial AMR.
An additional 10 million direct deaths are expected annually by 2050, equivalent to the number of cancer deaths globally in 2020.
Food and health at risk
AMR also affects the economy and is expected to reduce the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of at least $3.4 trillion annually by the end of the decade, pushing some 24 million people into extreme poverty.
The pharmaceutical, agricultural and healthcare sectors are major drivers of the development and spread of AMR in the environment, along with pollutants from poor sanitation, sewage and municipal waste. .
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, explains that a trio of planetary crises – climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss – have contributed to this.
“Air, soil and water pollution undermine the human right to a clean and healthy environment. The very causes of environmental degradation are exacerbating the problem of antibiotic resistance. The impact of bacterial resistance can be devastating to our food system and our health,” she warns.
Meet One Health
Addressing AMR requires a multidisciplinary response that acknowledges that human, animal, plant and environmental health is closely linked and interdependent.
This is suitable for One Health framework developed by UNEP, WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
The report was launched at the Sixth Meeting of the Global Leaders Group on AMR, chaired by Prime Minister Mottley.
It includes measures to address both the decline of the natural environment and the rise of AMR, with a focus on addressing main source of pollution from poor sanitation, sewage, and community and municipal waste.
Recommendations include creating strong governance, planning, regulatory and regulatory frameworks at the national level and strengthening global efforts to improve integrated water management.
Other measures suggested are establishing international standards for good microbiological index composition of AMR from environmental samples and exploring options for redirecting investments, including ensuring sustainable funding.
