Australia is at risk of a “silent pandemic” that could kill tens of millions a year, with experts sounding the alarm on the growing crisis of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
By 2050, simple infections will be deadly and some surgeries too dangerous to perform unless urgent action is taken, a chilling new report from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the CSIRO has warned.
More than 10 million people could be killed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) each year, costing the world economy close to $150 trillion.
AMR occurs when bacteria and other microbes become resistant to the drugs designed to kill them, such as antibiotics, usually from misuse or overuse.
Branwen Morgan, lead of CSIRO’s Minimising Antimicrobial Resistance Mission, said AMR had the potential to undermine modern medicine.
The World Health Organisation has listed AMR among the top 10 global threats to health.
In 2019, 1.27 million deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections globally.
Dr Morgan said there was a “social imperative to act now”.
“From our perspective, we feel there must be more of a preventive approach to tackle this issue before it manifests in total treatment failure,” she said.
The report, released on Tuesday, calls for greater national co-ordination and a focus on streamlining commercialisation processes for new AMR solutions and technologies.
“Australia has the potential to be a strong global contributor in the development of technologies to combat AMR and should aspire to be a world leader in its management,” it said.
“Australia has a wealth of creative and practical solutions for detection and prevention of AMR emerging in our own backyard.”
Surface sprays that change colour when pathogens are present and toilets that detect and disarm harmful microbes before they reach our waterways are two examples of the innovation that could be used in the superbug fight.
ATSE fellow and chair and MTPConnect non-executive director Sue MacLeman said it was time to move beyond alarm and for sectors to work together.
“These technologies would help Australia and the rest of the world maintain and extend the effectiveness of antibiotics or antimicrobials for longer,” she said.
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2023-02-27 13:02:00Z
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