Antibiotic resistance is accelerating globally, with more than a million deaths each year and nearly 5 million more linked to resistant infections. More than 39 million deaths are projected to occur as a result of antibiotic-resistant infections between 2025 and 2050.
As the crisis intensifies, AI could improve diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant infections, Ara Darzi, a surgeon and director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, said during a presentation, according to an April 16 WIRED report.
Here are four notes from the presentation:
- AI diagnostics could improve speed and accuracy. Tools can exceed 99% accuracy, compared to traditional diagnostics that can take two to three days.
- Faster treatment is critical for survival. For conditions such as sepsis, each hour of delayed treatment increases mortality risk by 4% to 9%.
- Resistance rates are high globally. In 2023, one in three infections in southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean were resistant, and one in five infections in Africa were resistant, according to the World Health Organization.
- Pharmaceutical conflicts of interest may stymie implementation:. Pharma companies profit from high-volume sales, but new antibiotics would need to be reserved to prevent further resistance, creating a disincentive for drug development and access.
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