Stubborn ills could kill 10 million by 2050

A report released by an ad-hoc United Nations agency alarmed the world on Monday by highlighting the growing crisis of pathogens getting resistant to drugs meant to fight them.

Experts from the Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) urge nations across the world to come together for immediate coordinated action to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a phenomenon with disaster written all over it.

At least 700,000 people die every every year globally due to drug-resistant diseases, including 230,000 from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. This could rise to 10 million a year by 2050, without sustained efforts towards containment, 2.4 million of them in high-income countries alone, counting from 2015. And the damage to the economy could be as catastrophic as the 2008 global meltdown: by 2030, AMR could force up to 24 million into extreme poverty.

The occurrence has been marked as a 'global threat to public health' by the World Health Organization.

"The report reflects the depth and scope of the response needed to curb its rise and protect a century of progress in health," said IACG co-chair Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General.

"I urge all stakeholders to act on the report's recommendations and work urgently to protect our people and secure a sustainable future for all".

Rise of resistance

• Worldwide, India has the highest burden of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, with an estimated 79,000 patients
• AMR occurs when micro-organisms like parasites, fungi, bacteria etc change in ways that render medications that treat the infection ineffective