United Nations (UN) has launched Global Alert: Be prepared against ‘superbug’, which can kill 10 million people a year by 2050, fight against pollution important, as it accelerates the emergence, transmission and spread of resistance Antimicrobial (AMR)The economic cost of which could represent a loss of at least $3.4 billion per year in world GDP by 2030, leading to 24 million more people in extreme poverty,
are ‘superbugs’ strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are resistant to most antibiotics and other drugs used to treat infections, Experts have already warned that if we don’t act immediately can cause more deaths than cancer,
AMR occurs when those strains become resistant to antimicrobial treatments that would normally kill them or limit their growth.
The World Health Organization (WHO) included AMR in its List of the 10 Biggest Health Threats on the Planetand the United Nations considers it “fundamental” to limit its presence and “Maintaining the ability of modern medicine to treat diseasesMinimize risks that threaten food safety and security, and protect the environment.
The risk is too great: “If antimicrobials lose their effectiveness, modern medicine will be in danger of being unable to treat even mild infections.“, exposes the United Nations.
In fact, superbugs are already among us, They were directly related in 2019 1.27 million deaths worldwide, In addition, infection by drug-resistant pathogens was Indirect link with 4.95 million deathsAccording to the latest report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Triple Crisis Planetaria
“Global attention to AMR has focused primarily on the human health and agriculture sectors, but There is growing evidence that the environment not only plays an important role in the emergence, transmission and spread of antimicrobial resistance, but is also an important part of the solution to combat it.“, highlights the United Nations, proposing a multidisciplinary approach to understand its presence, transmission and spread in the environment.
Antimicrobial resistance is “closely linked to the planetary triple threat”: climate change, loss of natural resources and biodiversity, and pollution,
“A crisis that worsens as a result of human activities and unsustainable patterns of consumption and production,” condemns the United Nations. In such a situation, it is necessary to fight climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution, because all these three promote the presence of ‘supermicrobes’.
the fact of an increase in the frequency and inappropriate dosage of antimicrobials, as well as in other microbial stress (for example, the presence of contaminants) create favorable conditions for pathogenic microorganisms to develop resistance in humans (causing disease) and in the environment (sources of infection such as wastewater).
Redressal According to the United Nations, “the core of the AMR response and, well, The environment is an important part of the solution,
limit the use of antimicrobials
The UNEP report states that the response to AMR “should be based on an approach toa health“, which takes into account that there is a link between the environment and the health of humans, animals and plants, while proposing comprehensive action with the participation of all sectors, stakeholders and governmental and non-governmental at the global, regional and local levels. There is interdependence.Government organization.
Contains a long list of documents Solution, With regard to the pharmaceutical sector, it proposes to “strengthen the regulatory framework and inspection system, incentives and subsidies to ensure that updates are implemented in the manufacturing process of drugs”.
In the food and agriculture sector, one of the major proposals is “Limit the use of antimicrobials and reduce waste discharge into the environment To prevent damage to water sources from contamination by pollutants, resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial residues”.
It also claimsAvoid the use of antibiotics used as a last resort in human medicineImproving the management of “and” fertilizer of fecal origin”.
In relation to health services, it raises the need to guarantee safe and sustainable processes in the context of “disposal, acquisition, management and treatment of antimicrobial drugs as well as Hazardous waste removal from health facilities,
strengthen the framework of scientific research and innovation with the aim of reduce antimicrobial use and reducing the release of resistant and antimicrobial microorganisms into the environment” is one of the solutions proposed by the United Nations.
Reference report: https://www.unep.org/es/resources/superbugs/environmental-action
