As the world marks World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week (WAAW) from November 18-24, experts and advocates have sounded the alarm on the growing threat of AMR, which endangers global health, food security, and modern medical practices. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, alongside poor healthcare and environmental practices, are accelerating the crisis.
“Antimicrobial resistance is invisible, but its impact is not,” said Felix Liauw, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of AMR Survivors. Liauw shared his tragic experience of losing his three-month-old son in Indonesia due to the overuse of antibiotics and misdiagnosis. “We should only use antibiotics or other antimicrobials with a proper diagnosis. Misuse endangers lives and fuels resistance.”
The Growing Threat of AMR
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to antimicrobial medicines, rendering common treatments ineffective. According to Thomas Joseph, head of AMR Awareness at WHO, “AMR makes infections harder to treat, increases the risk of severe illness and death, and jeopardizes life-saving procedures such as cancer chemotherapy and surgeries.”
The scale of the crisis is staggering. In 2019 alone, AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths, with an additional 5 million deaths associated with drug resistance. Without immediate action, AMR-related deaths could increase by 50% over the next 25 years.
Several factors contribute to AMR, including the misuse of medicines, poor infection control, lack of clean water and sanitation, substandard healthcare practices, and the use of counterfeit or substandard drugs.
Alexandra Cameron, from WHO’s Antimicrobial Resistance Division, highlighted the dual challenge of misuse and lack of access to quality medicines: “In low- and middle-income countries, lack of access to effective antimicrobials is causing more deaths than AMR itself. Misuse also leads to stockouts, forcing providers to resort to expensive or suboptimal alternatives.”
AMR’s Impact on Food Security and the Environment
The crisis extends beyond human health. Yu Qiu, an animal health officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), noted that AMR threatens livestock production, food safety, and farmers’ livelihoods. Resistant bacteria in animals can spread through the food chain, increasing the risk of foodborne diseases.
The environment also plays a critical role. Wondwosen Asnake Kibret of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) emphasized that pollution from healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical production, and agriculture creates conditions for resistant microorganisms to thrive. “Polluted waterways and untreated waste contribute to the spread of AMR in the environment,” he said.
Global Commitments and Actions
World leaders have pledged to combat AMR, with the 2024 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR setting ambitious targets. These include reducing AMR-related deaths by 10% by 2030, ensuring basic water and sanitation in all healthcare facilities, and enabling 80% of countries to test drug resistance in bacterial and fungal pathogens.
A Call for Collaboration
Experts stress the need for a multisectoral “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Ana Luisa Pereira Mateus from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) underscored the economic cost of inaction, warning that AMR could result in a $575 billion loss to global GDP in the livestock sector alone by 2050.
Youth engagement is also critical. Augusto Baron, of the Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR, emphasized the role of young people in driving change: “Empowering the next generation is vital to ensuring coordinated global responses to AMR.”
As AMR continues to evolve into a major global health challenge, experts urge governments, organizations, and individuals to prioritize prevention, equitable access to healthcare, and effective antimicrobial stewardship. “Failure is not an option,” said Shobha Shukla, chairperson of the Global AMR Media Alliance. “We must act now to ensure health security for all.”