By Joke Kujenya
GROWING GLOBAL health crisis is tightening its grip as Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) continues to make once treatable infections harder and, in some cases, impossible to cure.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), is raising concerns that AR continues to rank among the top ten global health threats, posing risks to human health, food security and the environment as drug resistant infections become harder to treat.
GAMA also affirms that AR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines used to treat them. This loss of effectiveness is driving infections to spread more easily, last longer and increase the risk of severe illness, disability and death.
Figures show the scale of the danger as bacterial AR directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.
The misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines in humans, animals and plants remain the main factors behind this trend.
The impact is being felt across all regions and income levels, though low- and middle-income countries carry the heaviest burden.
Moreover, poverty, inequality and limited access to healthcare services continue to worsen both the causes and consequences of antimicrobial resistance.
GAMA further highlights that modern medicine is increasingly under pressure as resistance grows.
Meanwhile, treatments that rely on effective antibiotics, including surgery, caesarean sections and cancer chemotherapy, are becoming riskier. At the same time, infections that were once easily treated are becoming more difficult to manage.
Also, recent surveillance data point to rising resistance among common bacteria.
Across 76 countries, resistance rates reached 42% for third generation cephalosporin resistant E. coli and 35% for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Back in 2020, one-in-five urinary tract infections caused by E. coli showed reduced response to widely used antibiotics.
Other bacteria are also showing worrying patterns as Klebsiella pneumoniae has developed high levels of resistance to critical treatments, forcing increased use of last resort medicines such as carbapenems.
Resistance to these last line treatments is now being reported in several regions, raising concerns about infections that may no longer respond to available drugs, GAMA highlights.
Fungal infections are also adding to the challenge. with drug resistant strains such as Candida auris are becoming more common and are difficult to treat, particularly in patients with other conditions where drug interactions complicate care.
It projects that major diseases are not exempt.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) drug resistance is also linked to changes in the virus that reduce the effectiveness of antiretroviral medicines, leading to increased infections and deaths, GAMA states.
A piece of information shared by GAMA via email also notes that tuberculosis remains a major contributor, with multidrug resistant forms requiring longer, more expensive and more toxic treatment.
In 2022, only about two-in-five people with drug resistant tuberculosis were able to access treatment.
GAMA also reveals that malaria treatment is under strain as resistance to artemisinin-based therapies has been confirmed in several regions, making treatment decisions more complex and increasing the need for close monitoring.
Beyond health, the economic toll is significant with AR being projected to add $1 trillion in healthcare costs by 2050, while global economic losses could range between $1 trillion and $3.4 trillion annually by 2030,
The effects further extend to agriculture, where resistant infections reduce productivity and threaten food security.
Sadly, the spread of AR does not stop at borders while factors such as poor access to clean water, weak infection control, limited availability of quality medicines and lack of awareness continue to drive its growth.
5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR
Towards stemming the tide of AR, global efforts are focusing on a coordinated response across human health, animal health, food production and the environment.
Countries adopted a global action plan in 2015 and, as of November 2023, 178 countries had developed national action plans aligned with it.
Surveillance systems are being strengthened to track resistance patterns and guide responses, while efforts continue to address gaps in research and development.
The pipeline for new antibiotics remains limited, with only 27 in clinical development targeting priority pathogens and just six considered innovative.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that attention is now turning to Nigeria, where ministers from multiple sectors are expected to meet in June for the 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AR. This will be the first time the meeting is held in Africa.
Ahead of the gathering, the GAMA discloses that it is organising a media briefing on 13 April 2026 with senior government officials and partner organisations as it urges media professionals to take part, promote wider awareness and encourage participation from sectors beyond health, including agriculture, animal health and the environment.
GAMA said the call also seeks to strengthen person centred and rights-based responses to AR, with broader engagement seen as key to tackling a threat that continues to grow across communities and borders.
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