Swearing-in of Carlos Moedas, Member of the European Commission in charge of Research, Science and Innovation © European Union, 2015
As well as the devastating loss in human life there would also be a substantial impact to the world’s economy. Whilst for Europe the bill for healthcare expenses and productivity losses is over €1.5 billion, the forecast for the world economy if this threat is not confronted is nothing short of catastrophic. The Review states that ‘between now and 2050 the world can expect to lose between 60 and 100 trillion USD worth of economic output if antimicrobial drug resistance is not tackled. This is equivalent to the loss of around one year’s total global output over the period – and will create significant and widespread human suffering’. What’s more – we currently routinely accept that we can undergo surgery relatively safe from infection with antibiotics. Procedures such as organ transplants, joint replacements, premature baby care, and caesarean sections rely on antibiotics as a necessary precaution. If antibiotics fail, common place medical procedures will become far riskier and potentially life threatening, with the added problem that people who are deemed too high a risk to take surgery will not be able to recover or remain in work – further impacting the economy.
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We have already seen the rise of the superbug through MRSA which has surfaced heavily around hospitals where cuts, wounds and potential for infection are more prevalent. Bacteria including Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli (E.Coli) and Staphylococcus are all showing signs of developing resistance. When taking in the global impact when assessing the types of bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics we can see potential for large scale human suffering in the developing world as AMR affects HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis (TB) treatments. In summary there is a lot at stake if we do not act. AMR is not a problem to look at in isolation, it is a global issue and as such needs a global perspective and alliance to address it. Within this context, Europe can play a key role in the on-going fight against AMR.
Hope And Determination Despite the chilling overview of our current predicament, there is hope. It is hope founded on investment, rigorous research, innovation and dissemination of information to healthcare agents and the public.
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