On Sept. 25, 2024, drug-resistant pathogens could jeopardise the food supply of over two billion people and increase health care costs by U.S. $159 billion annually by 2050, according to the most extensive modelling of the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to date.

Data from more than 200 countries forecasted the full toll of AMR on people, livestock and the economy and estimates a return of US $28 for every US $1 invested in drug innovation and health care improvements.

The EcoAMR series estimated that about 39 million people could die due to AMR by 2050, especially among older people and those in low- and middle-income countries. This study was consistent with the results from the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (link is external)(GRAM) project.