Ottawa-The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats and it could cause the death of 39 million people worldwide by 2050.

WHO says that researchers from the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project warn that now is the time to act after their study, published in The Lancet, found that over one million people died annually from drug-resistant infections between 1990 and 2021. AMR refers to microorganisms no longer responding to antibiotics, which makes infections challenging to treat.

“New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases and resulting in prolonged illness, disability and death,” WHO said. “AMR is a threat for all countries globally, independent of income levels. It poses a threat to global health, food security and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.”

AMR has strong economic costs for health-care systems and national economies. In health-care systems, costs increase due to lengthier stays in hospitals, the requirement of more intensive care and the need to use more expensive alternative treatments.

AMR also has significant implications for the health of animals and plants. Animal, human and environmental health are intrinsically intertwined and interdependent. Resistant bacteria can spread between and within animal, human and plant populations and travel through the waterways, soil and air, also infecting wild animals along the way.

As more than 60 per cent of emerging pathogens that cause human diseases originate from animals, which means protecting the health of animals and the environment protects human health.

The inappropriate use of antimicrobials is accelerating the spread of AMR. “Antimicrobial medicines are often used inappropriately in humans, animals and on crops. As an example, antibiotics should not be used against viral infections such as colds and influenza, but they often are.

“Drug-resistant microbes are found in humans, animals, food and the environment. They can spread from person to person, and between people, animals and the environment, emphasizing the need to use a One Health approach that recognizes the interlinkages between human, animal and environmental health.”

Antibiotics that are critical to human medicine should be used prudently in veterinary and agricultural sectors, WHO said. They are often used as growth promoters for animals and fish in many countries around the world.

The spread of AMR can be controlled by:

-strong infection prevention and control including routine vaccinations;

-stewardship programs providing relevant training and support for medical staff to follow evidence-based guidelines for prescribing and administering antibiotics, and to use diagnostic tests to ensure targeted treatment;

-prudent use of antibiotics in agriculture and food production.

The spread of drug-resistant bacteria challenges antibiotic treatments for widespread bacterial infections. Patients with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are at increased risk of worse clinical outcomes or even death. Treatment of drug-resistant bacteria is more resource intensive and leads to increased health-care costs.

Animal Health Canada and 12 partners are working to raise awareness of the threat that AMR poses and gain regulatory changes that will promote better antimicrobial stewardship.

The partners are the Canadian Animal Health Institute, the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Cattle Association, the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, the government of Quebec, The Canadian Feedlot AMU/AMR Surveillance Program, Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, the Ontario Association of Colleges, and the College of Veterinarians of Ontario.

In response to the escalating threat of AMR, the government released the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance last year to build on progress already made.

This news item prepared for National Newswatch