Pollution in conjunction with climate change spurs the spread and emergence of superbugs globally — many of which have already been found to “become resistant to every known antibiotic.”
Ten million deaths by 2050 attributed to antibiotic resistance is on par with the same number of all deaths caused by cancer globally in 2020.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N.’s Environment Programme, said in a press statement that “the same drivers that cause environment degradation are worsening the antimicrobial resistance problem,” adding that “the impacts of antimicrobial resistance could destroy our health and food systems.”
Pollution in waterways from hospitals, communities and pharmaceutical production; chemical runoff; and other factors all directly contribute to increased antimicrobial resistance in the environment, the U.N.’s report states.
The report was released the day of the sixth meeting of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. Last year, the group issued similar recommendations urging global leaders to take action and address environmental contributions to drug-resistant bacteria.
The U.N.’s report urges for action “to address key pollution sources from poor sanitation, sewage; community and municipal wastes; healthcare delivery; pharmaceutical manufacturing; intensive crop, and terrestrial and aquatic animal production sectors.”
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