Environmental Dimensions of AMR Report: Pharma, health sectors among 5 major sources of AMR, says UNEP report

What is the News?

The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) has released a report titled “Environmental Dimensions of Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR)”.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR)?

It occurs when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) evolve and stop responding to medicines, making even minor infections tough to treat, causing severe illnesses and deaths.

What are the key findings of the report related to Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR)?

UNEP Projections on AMR deaths: AMR could kill up to 10 million people per year by 2050.

The economic impact is also expected to be substantial: By 2030, the shortfall in the gross domestic product caused by AMR could be $3.4 trillion per year, with an additional 24 million people pushed into extreme poverty.

What are the contributors to the spread of AMR?

The report has identified five major contributors to the spread of antimicrobial resistance(AMR). These are: 

– Poor sanitation, sewage and waste effluent 

– Effluent and waste from pharmaceuticals manufacturing 

– Effluent and waste from healthcare facilities 

– Use of antimicrobial and manure in crop production and 

– Releases, effluent and waste in animal production.

What are the suggestions given by the report to reduce AMR?

1) Enhancing environmental governance, planning and regulatory frameworks, 2) Identifying and targeting priority AMR-relevant pollutants, 3) Improving reporting, surveillance and monitoring and 4)  Prioritizing financing, innovation and capacity development.

Source: This post is based on the article “Pharma, health sectors among 5 major sources of AMR, says UNEP report” published in Down To Earth on 7th Mar 2022.