By Editorial Staff
“AMR [antimicrobial resistance] could lead to 10 million deaths annually by 2050,” according to the World Economic Forum [WEF], with its 18 December 2025 story entitled “The top global health stories from 2025” updated on 13 January 2026. The WEF emphasizes “‘Superbugs’, which have become resistant to the medicines once used to treat them, kill an estimated 5 million people a year.
This situation is only projected to worsen, as antimicrobial resistance could lead to 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if left unchecked. Without urgent action, the UK government’s special envoy on antimicrobial resistance, Dame Sally Davies, says we risk a return to the pre-penicillin time [penicillin discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 was the first antibiotic produced] when common infections were life-threatening, setting back decades of medical progress.”
As for reasons behind this scourge, among others, the WEF explains “Excessive antibiotic use is a significant driver of resistance. Yet it’s not just prescribing to humans that is a problem – two-thirds of antibiotics globally are used in farming. In recent years, antibiotic use in agriculture in Europe has fallen dramatically.
But they continue to be widely used in emerging economies because of their impact on profit margins and a lack of viable and affordable alternatives.” This forum proposes a strategy to defeat the crisis. “At the start of this year, the Forum’s Global Future Council on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance developed and released the Davos Compact on AMR, which outlines how the public and private sectors can engage and highlights the key areas of focus to tackle AMR.”
More on AMR
Antimicrobial resistance means microbes or bugs’ ability to resist medications usually employed to treat them. In other words, these medications don’t succeed in curing diseases caused by the germs.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in its dateless story headlined “Antimicrobial Resistance” explains “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them. These drugs, called antimicrobials, are used to treat infectious diseases caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoan parasites.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 21 November 2023 account titled “Antimicrobial resistance” echoes “Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines. Antimicrobials – including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. AMR is a natural process that happens over time through genetic changes in pathogens. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens.”
The FAO points out “Every time we use antimicrobials in people, animals and plants, germs have a chance to acquire the ability to tolerate the treatments by becoming resistant, making the drugs less effective over time.”
Indicating that AMR is expensively handled and likely to result in harmful side effects, the USA’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concurs with the preceding sources. In its 31 January 2025 piece of writing entitled “About Antimicrobial Resistance”, the CDC says “Antimicrobial resistance (AR) happens when germs develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. Resistant infections can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat.
In many cases, these infections require extended hospital stays, additional follow-up doctor visits and treatments that may be costly and potentially toxic. AR has the potential to affect people at any stage of life, as well as the healthcare, veterinary, and agriculture industries. This makes it one of the world’s most urgent public health problems. Antimicrobial resistance has been found in all regions of the world.”
When infections are resistant to standard medicines, doctors are forced to use last-line drugs to try to eliminate the pathogens. Last-line drugs constitute the strongest or most powerful medications available for a particular infection. In this case, the treatments can become toxic, because these medications are often given in higher doses or for longer periods; which increases the likelihood of harmful side effects in the body. As a result, patients may experience damage to organs such as kidneys or liver, severe allergic reactions, or other serious complications. So, this renders the treatment itself risky even as it is attempting to cure the infection.
The UN organ responsible for health across the globe emphasizes that AMR constitutes a huge obstacle not only to health but also to development and economy. It also underscores that AMR exists everywhere the world. “AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats. AMR affects countries in all regions and at all income levels. Its drivers and consequences are exacerbated by poverty and inequality, and low- and middle-income countries are most affected. AMR puts many of the gains of modern medicine at risk. It makes other medical procedures and treatments – such as surgery, caesarean sections and cancer chemotherapy – much riskier.
In addition to death and disability, AMR has significant economic costs. The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in US$ 1 trillion additional healthcare costs by 2050, and US$ 1 trillion to US$ 3.4 trillion gross domestic product (GDP) losses per year by 2030 (2). AMR has significant costs for both health systems and national economies overall. For example, it creates need for more expensive and intensive care, affects productivity of patients or their caregivers through prolonged hospital stays, and harms agricultural productivity.”
Some cases
The WHO highlights that tuberculosis constitutes a key issue in AMR. “Tuberculosis (TB) is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most effective first-line TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs, but these medicines are expensive and toxic, and in some cases more extensive drug resistance can develop.
TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line TB drugs can leave patients with very limited treatment options. MDR-TB is therefore a public health crisis and threat to health security. Only about 2 in 5 people with drug resistant TB accessed treatment in 2022.”
This UN agency further states that the emergence of drug-resistant parasites amounts to a chief threat to malaria control. “Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the recommended first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria and are used by most malaria endemic countries. Emergence of partial resistance to artemisinin and/or partner drugs in ACTs makes selecting the right treatment more challenging and requires close monitoring.”
Always according to the WHO, HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) also forms a problem too. HIVDR is caused by changes in the HIV genome that affect the ability of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to block the replication of the virus. “HIVDR can either be transmitted at the time of infection or acquired because of inadequate adherence to treatment or drug-drug interactions.
HIVDR can lead to increased HIV infections and HIV-associated morbidity and mortality. WHO recommends that countries routinely implement HIVDR surveys to inform the selection of optimal ARV drug regimens for HIV prevention and treatment.”
Link of AMR in farming with human health
AMR in farming, driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in livestock, creates superbugs which infect humans through food, direct contact, and environmental contamination. Resistant bacteria—such as E. coli, Salmonella, and MRSA—engender harder-to-treat, severe illnesses, higher mortality rates, and increased healthcare costs.
The use of antibiotics in livestock results in AMR among humans through a gradual biological process. Farm animals such as cattle, pigs, and poultry are often given antibiotics to treat illnesses, prevent disease, or sometimes promote growth. These drugs kill several of the bacteria present in the animals, but a small number may survive because they possess natural resistance to the medications. These surviving bacteria reproduce and gradually turn so dominant that they create strains that antibiotics can no longer easily annihilate.
Once resistant bacteria develop in animals, they spread beyond farms, reaching humans in several ways. One common pathway is food. In slaughtering or processing; meat, milk, or eggs may become infected with resistant bacteria such as Salmonella or Campylobacter. People who eat infected food are then likely to become infected too. Resistant bacteria also spread through direct contact between humans and animals, particularly among farmers, veterinarians, and farm workers. In addition, animal waste containing resistant bacteria can contaminate soil and water, allowing the microbes to reach crops, drinking water, or other parts of the environment.
When humans become transmitted these resistant bacteria, the antibiotics normally employed to cure the infections no longer work effectively. As a result, illnesses become harder to treat, may last longer, and in some cases can become more dangerous. It is this connection- between antibiotic use in animals, environmental contamination, and human health- that forms an important part of the global challenge of AMR.
Science Direct published a 15 September 2024 study titled “Assessment of the presence of multidrug- resistant Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus in chicken meat, eggs and faeces in Mymensingh division of Bangladesh”. Its introduction reads “Large amounts of antimicrobials are used to prevent, treat diseases, and serve as growth promoters. This has led to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in poultry production. Nearly, all the antibiotic classes that are important for human medicine are extensively used in livestock production, not only as therapeutic agents but also for prevention purpose.
Foodborne resistant pathogens, particularly those originating from poultry, pose a significant risk to human health as a result of the abuse of antibiotics in the animal production sector. These antibiotics can remain in the food chain and help to develop resistant microbes that provide enabling environment for transmission of resistance factors. These bacteria thrive well in the tissues and proteins we consume, and they easily gain entry into our body from contamination. Antimicrobial residues may not always degrade appreciably, even after conventional cooking procedures.”
MDPI Journals, with its 19 June 2025 narrative review entitled “Livestock Antibiotics Use and Antimicrobial Resistance” explains “AMR in livestock is a growing global concern that threatens both human and animal health. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in livestock production have led to an increased propensity for the development of AMR bacterial strains in animals, which can be spread to humans through the consumption of contaminated animal products, direct contact, or environmental exposure.”
Strategy to fight AMR and its feasibility
The WHO says “The world faces an antibiotics pipeline and access crisis. There is an inadequate research and development pipeline in the face of rising levels of resistance, and urgent need for additional measures to ensure equitable access to new and existing vaccines, diagnostics and medicines. AMR is a problem for all countries at all income levels. Its spread does not recognize country borders.
Contributing factors include lack of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for both humans and animals; poor infection and disease prevention and control in homes, healthcare facilities and farms; poor access to quality and affordable vaccines, diagnostics and medicines; lack of awareness and knowledge; and lack of enforcement of relevant legislation. People living in low-resource settings and vulnerable populations are especially impacted by both the drivers and consequences of AMR.”
The WEF- in its 23 January 2025 piece titled “How global collaboration is addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance” which you reach upon clicking on the Davos Compact on AMR in the introduction- points out “Climate change and geopolitical events exacerbate AMR. Every 1°C increase in air temperature is associated with a 14% increase in drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. During the Great March of Return demonstrations on the Gaza/Israel border in 2018 and 2019, there was a 300% increase in resistance to certain antibiotics among injured combatants.
A lack of appropriate antimicrobial treatments is a significant driver of AMR. This is because doctors and vets are then forced to use suboptimal back-up options or treatment courses are cut short, leaving the remaining bacteria with opportunities to develop resistance. Like carbon or clean water, effective antibiotics are a critical infrastructure that must be protected for today’s citizens and for future generations. Modern medicine as we know it is not possible without access to functioning antibiotics.”
The Davos Compact on AMR doesn’t actually deviate from the recommendations provided by the WHO. The Davos Compact underlines public-private partnership and interventional non-profit institutions. “AMR is a growing global threat. It could take 15 to 20 years to develop sufficient new antimicrobials to protect us. We need to act now. Collaborative public and private sector efforts to address AMR will ensure sustainable financing for a healthier, safer and more resilient world for future generations.”
Unified Coalition for the AMR Response (UCARE) constitutes a WEF-launched coalition, introduced at the 2025 Davos meeting to fight AMR. The WEF explains “Under the aegis of UCARE, governments and philanthropic organizations will work together to create the right conditions for encouraging private sector investments to address AMR. And businesses around the world will allocate significant financial resources to fund and deploy innovative solutions against drug-resistant infections.”
The key areas of focus to tackle AMR, according to the WEF-as mentioned in the starter of this article, include (1) supporting innovation and improving access to new and existing antimicrobials, diagnostics and vaccines, (2) building awareness and advocacy of AMR among policy-makers and the public, (3) creating sustainable food and agricultural systems, and (4) promoting multisectoral engagement and funding.
Therefore, dealing successfully with AMR demands actions to reverse the factors identified by the WHO and the WEF, including poor sanitation and hygiene, inadequate infection prevention, limited access to vaccines and medicines, low public awareness, and weak enforcement of health regulations.
With this objective in mind, the WHO suggests coordinated global action. “AMR is a complex problem that requires both sector-specific actions in the human health, food production, animal and environmental sectors, and a coordinated approach across these sectors. One Health refers to an integrated, unifying approach that aims to achieve optimal and sustainable health outcomes for people, animals and ecosystems.
It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants and the wider environment are closely linked and inter-dependent. Misuse of antibiotics in livestock, poultry, aquaculture and crops is a key factor contributing to the growth of antibiotic resistance and the spread of resistant bacteria to humans through the environment and food chain.”
To combat AMR, the WHO strongly recommends “Stop overuse and misuse of antibiotics by: ensuring antibiotics are only given to animals under veterinary supervision, never using antibiotics for growth promotion, increasing awareness about the risks of overusing and misusing antibiotics. Prevent the spread of infection by: applying good practices at all steps of food production, keeping animals in clean and sanitary conditions and preventing overcrowding, vaccinating animals and isolating sick ones to prevent the spread of disease.”
The WEF and WHO’s advice is feasible and likely to produce as great impact, as even suggested by the South Center-an intergovernmental organization of developing nations, established by an intergovernmental agreement. “In many countries, much of the antibiotics used (80 per cent in the case of the United States) are fed in farms to animals as growth promoters, to make them grow fatter and faster, as well as to prevent or treat diseases. Resistant bacteria build up in the animals and are present in raw meat.
Some of these bacteria are passed on to humans when they eat the meat. The environment is another source of the spread of resistance. Residues and wastes containing resistant bacteria flow from farms and hospitals and contaminate soils, drainage systems, rivers and seas. Some of these bacteria find their way to humans.”
The South Center adds “The European Union banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed in January 2006 while the US started action to phase them out in December 2013. In most developing countries, little action has so far been taken. Hopefully that will start to change. In November 2017, the World Health Organization issued its first ever guidelines on the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.”
This suggests that stopping the overuse and misuse of antibiotics as growth promoters can significantly slow the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria that threaten both human and animal health. When antibiotics are used only for genuine treatment under veterinary supervision, it will certainly reduce the chances that resistant strains will develop and circulate through the food chain, the environment, and human populations.
However, achieving this goal necessitates robust awareness and education for farmers, livestock producers, and policymakers. This is particularly needed in developing countries where antibiotics are often relied upon to increase productivity and compensate for poor farming conditions.
Farmers especially in the developing lands should therefore be encouraged—and supported—to adopt safer and sustainable alternatives, such as improved hygiene on farms, vaccination of animals, better nutrition, reduced overcrowding, and other natural disease-prevention practices. By combining responsible antibiotic use with improved livestock management, the world can protect both food production and the effectiveness of life-saving medicines for future generations.
Nonetheless, the feasibility or execution of the recommended mechanism will require more than recommendations and commitments; it will require that rhetorical pledges be matched by concrete implementation.