If more bacteria become drug-resistant, common infections could become untreatable, and routine treatments – chemotherapy, caesarean sections, hip replacements – too risky to carry out.

People living with primary immunodeficiencies and those who have compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to acquiring infections and therefore rely on the use of antibiotics to ward them off. However, due to antibiotic resistance, not only might these drugs become less effective in preventing infections, but there’s already evidence showing that the infections that do occur are more difficult to treat.

For instance, for people living with cystic fibrosis, chronic and severe bacterial infections in can lead to lung damage, eventually causing respiratory decline and potentially necessitating a lung transplant. Antibiotics play a crucial role in combating these infections, helping prevent or slow down the damage.

Significant strides have been made in cancer care over recent decades, showcasing remarkable advancements in surgical procedures, radiotherapy, and various medications, including the emergence of innovative immunotherapies. Yet, the looming menace of drug-resistant bacteria poses a substantial challenge, jeopardizing the progress achieved in cancer treatment.

According to the Union for International Cancer Control, UICC, people with cancer are more susceptible to infections due to the lowering of immune defences, while surgery and treatments like bone marrow transplants, radiotherapy and chemotherapy put the immune system under immense pressure.

As many as 1 in 5 cancer patients undergoing treatment are hospitalised due to infection, and antibiotics are the main line of defence. Pneumonia and sepsis (as a result of bacterial infection of the blood) are among the most frequent causes of admission to intensive care units for cancer patients. In fact, it is estimated that 8.5% of cancer deaths are due to severe sepsis.

Antibiotics are an essential component of cancer treatment, often necessary for many patients. To safeguard their benefits, it’s imperative to improve the use of antibiotics and address the AMR crisis.

Neonatal sepsis, a severe infection occurring in newborns, presents a critical concern intertwined with antimicrobial resistance. The vulnerability of newborns to infections coupled with the escalating rates of antimicrobial resistance amplifies the challenges in effectively treating this condition.

Studies have demonstrated the financial consequences of AMR, including extremely high healthcare costs due to an increase in hospital admissions, longer hospital stays, more intensive care units and isolation beds, and prolonged treatment times.

For instance, according to the OECD, every year, antimicrobial resistance causes a significant impact on health, resulting in the loss of approximately 1.75 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across several countries. In simpler terms, this means a measure of the healthy years of life lost due to illness or disability caused by AMR.