Question: What is the number of expected death to be caused by drug resistant diseases annually by 2050?
(a) 5million
(b) 7 million
(c) 10 million
(d) 11 million
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- A United Nations expert committee gave a report on deaths related to drug resistant disease.
- As per the report submitted by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group (IACG) which was setup in March 2017 with experts from different countries as members, alarming levels of resistance have been reported in countries of all income levels.
- The report mentions that there can be around 10 million deaths annually by 2050 due to drug resistant infections and diseases.
- This can further lead to financial crisis as equal to the Great Recession of 2008.
The report:
- The recent trend shows that drug-resistant infections mainly by the antibiotic overuse in humans, livestock and agriculture kill 700,000 people across the globe every year.
- This includes 230,000 deaths caused by Multiple Drug Resistant Tuberculosis.
- This antimicrobial resistance will also force 24 million people into extreme poverty by the year 2030.
- The overuse of antimicrobial drugs for the cure of diseases such as tuberculosis; malaria and MRSA have made these infections more resistant to traditional treatment.
- This is also seen on the treatment of cold or flu where antibiotics are taken without realizing that such drugs are incapable of killing viruses.
- Farmers using antibiotics to increase the growth or prevent the spread of disease among animals such as chickens, pigs and cows also contribute to the resistant.
- When microbes come into unnecessary contact with bacteria, they have more chances to adapt to specific strains, increasing the likelihood of genetic mutations that undercut medications’ effectiveness.
- Around 2.4 million people could die in high-income countries alone between 2015 and 2050 due to antimicrobial drug resistance. This is made worse by the overuse of existing antimicrobials agents such as antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal as well as antiprotozoal drugs.
- Drug-resistant infections are even greater threat in developing countries. The germs grow in environments having unclean and infected water and inadequate sewage systems.
- Poor people are also more likely to purchase cheap and low-quality antibiotics from street vendors without understanding the implications of such misuse. This increases the problem.
Key recommendations:
- The IACG has called on all Member States to phase out the use of antimicrobials on the WHO’s highest priority list.
- It has also recommended the setting up of a One Health Global Leadership Group on Antimicrobial Resistance with a joint secretariat from WHO, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Organisation for Animal Health, or OIE.
- The U.N. group outlines several key recommendations for curbing the spread of drug-resistant pathogens.
- It includes regulating the sale of antibiotics sold without a proper prescription, stopping the use of antibiotics for spurring farm animals’ growth.
- It also asks rich nations to fund public health improvements in poorer countries, and incentivizing pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotics.
- The report said preparing and implementing national antimicrobial resistance action plans is the first step towards tacking the drug resistance.
Links:
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/superbugs-could-kill-10-million-by-2050-warns-a-un-backed-panel/article26991531.ece
https://www.axios.com/drug-resistance-kill-10million-people-year-2050-4f048f02-8664-4000-8315-e4ca51c29ff7.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drug-resistant-infections-could-kill-10-million-annually-2050-180972079/