New Telegraph

AMR accounts for 700,000 deaths annually

… as Pfizer gathers experts, marks World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Medical experts at a recent roundtable held virtually have highlighted the danger antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses to health, saying it accounted for 700,000 deaths annually. A silent killer, AMR which is one of the biggest threats to global health today and a continued rise in the use of AMR could take 10 million lives globally each year by 2050 – more than currently die from cancer, according to the experts.

The event which was organised by Pfizer was aimed to mark the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, held between November 18-24 each year with a view to raise awareness about AMR. AMR occurs when antibiotics lose their effectiveness as pathogens find ways to resist their effects.

The more an antibiotic is used, the more pressure bacteria have to develop resistance. Professor Abdulrazaq Garba Habib, commented: “Antimicrobial medicines are amongst the most precious medical resources the world has ever known. Alarm-ingly, they are losing their effectiveness. With especially low awareness among the public on the dangers of AMR, it is our responsibility as the medical community to educate patients about the condition. Much like COVID-19, AMR pathogens can spread far and with speed, impact ing people of all ages. Also, he noted that there is a significant need for strong public health and prevention measures and extensive surveillance to help curb its spread. On his part, Professor Aaron Oladipo Aboderin, commented: “With a high cost to individual health and the wider economy, AMR is a critical risk if left unaddressed.

Should AMR pathogens spread the way COVID-19 has, we will be facing another public health crisis. “Today’s roundtable and similar forums are essential to raising awareness of the threats facing us if we do not invest in the development of medicines now to help prevent AMR.” Dr. Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director East & Anglo West Africa Pfizer, commented: “AMR if left unchecked could lead to a scenario in which minor infections become life-threatening, while serious infections become impossible to treat.

Despite the many challenges associated with developing anti-infectives, at Pfizer, we remain committed to our R&D efforts to deliver new and effective anti-infective therapies which target newly emerging and difficult to treat infections.” Despite this, he disclosed that Pfizer remains committed to patients suffering from infectious diseases. “In 2020 alone, 28 million patients were treated with a Pfizer anti-infective therapy – a number we expect to grow in the future.”

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