Before COVID-19 disrupted everything, antimicrobial resistance was a growing worry on the humanitarian radar and a top public health threat. We pointed to the risks in our 10 Crises list in January 2020 – you know, before “infodemic”, “self-isolation”, “social distancing”, and “WFH” got their own dictionary entries. Drug resistance develops when antibiotics, including antimicrobials, are overused and abused: Think of the rise of “superbugs” or tuberculosis strains that withstand the most powerful treatments. Health communicators often call antimicrobial resistance a “silent pandemic” because it gets so little attention. The numbers are stark: Resistant bacterial infections alone are blamed for the deaths of 1.27 million people each year, and they’re linked to some 4.95 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Like many health issues (see routine immunisations, malnutrition, abortion access…), drug resistance has worsened during COVID-19. For example, US deaths from drug-resistant “superbugs” rose by 15 percent in 2020, according to new estimates. There could be help on the way in the form of infection-preventing vaccines. A 12 July WHO report lists some 61 vaccine candidates, but the agency says that drug trials need to be accelerated – and that the handful of vaccines already available must be shared fairly. Sound familiar? The global COVID-19 response may be both a blueprint and a warning: Vaccines emerged in record time, but hoarding and inequalities have let the virus linger, mutate, and cost more lives. For more, visit: [ Ссылка ]
