Bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics are already today a major threat to humans worldwide. Between 1990 and 2021, over one million people died annually due to infections that could not be treated with existing antibiotics, according to an analysis in the journal Lancet.
In the last 30 years, the number of children under five who die from bacterial infections has decreased by over 50 percent, thanks to better preventive care and increased access to antibiotics.
Resistance is increasing
At the same time, the number of people who die due to multi-resistant bacteria (MRSA) has doubled during the same period, according to researchers. Among people over 70 years old, the number of deaths has increased by more than 80 percent.
Researchers have developed scenarios for the future through various models and calculations. Based on the development so far, the number of people who die due to antibiotic resistance is expected to increase by nearly 70 percent by 2050. In their analysis, researchers have used data from around 520 million individuals from around the world.
Is natural
The report contains data at the national level and in Sweden, 508 people are reported to have died in 2021 as a direct result of antibiotic resistance. Between 2,000-3,000 people per year have died with a resistant infection, but it is not certain that it was the cause of death.
That bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics is natural, but the fact that we have overused antibiotics among humans and animals has greatly worsened the situation. The article is published ahead of the UN's high-level meeting on antibiotic resistance in New York on September 26.
Corrected: An earlier version contained an incorrect figure on how many people have died between 1990 and 2021 after infection with resistant bacteria.
