Photo Credit: Wildpixel

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increased from 1990 to 2021, according to a study published in The Lancet. The Global Burden of Disease 2021 Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators estimated deaths and disability-adjusted life-years attributable to and associated with bacterial AMR for 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen-drug combinations, and 11 infectious syndromes from 1990 to 2021. The researchers estimated 4.71 million deaths related to bacterial AMR in 2021, including 1.14 million deaths attributable to bacterial AMR. Mortality varied by age and location. Among adults aged 70 and older, there was an increase of more than 80% from 1990 to 2021. MRSA increased the most globally for both deaths associated with and deaths attributable to AMR, and resistance to carbapenems increased more than any other antibiotic class among Gram-negative bacteria. In 2050, an estimated 1.91 million deaths attributable to AMR and 8.22 million deaths associated with AMR could occur. The findings indicate that the [10%] reduction in AMR mortality in the 10-20-30 by 2030 target will not be reached.