In Canada, just over a quarter of infections are resistant to the medicines that are generally first prescribed to treat an infection and this could rise to 40% or higher in the coming decades, warns a report prepared by an expert panel convened by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA).
When Antibiotics Fail is an assessment of the available evidence of the potential impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It was produced by the CCA at the request of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The report says that more than 14,000 deaths in Canada in 2018 were associated with resistant infections – 5,400 of which were directly attributable to AMR. The report projects that the cumulative number of lives lost in Canada between 2020 and 2050 attributable to AMR would range between close to 256,000 if resistance to first-line antimicrobials stayed at today’s rates of 26%, to just over 396,000 if there is a gradual increase to 40% resistance.
Financial burden on healthcare system
The expert panel also found that AMR places a significant financial burden on the Canadian healthcare system. “If resistance rates to first-line antimicrobials increase to 40% by 2050, it is estimated that the cumulative costs of AMR to the healthcare system will approach $120 billion,” says the report.
AMR also has a negative impact on the economy, “having reduced Canada’s GDP by an estimated $2 billion in 2018. By 2050, if resistance rates remain at 26% or gradually increased to 40%, the economy could lose between $13 and $21 billion per year, respectively,” projected the expert panel.
"Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to millions, and may result in countless deaths globally over the next few decades" said B. Brett Finlay, PhD, O.C., O.B.C., FRSC, FCAHS, Chair of the Expert Panel. "This report directly addresses the potential impact of AMR in Canada, highlighting not only the tragic human costs, but also the real tangible economic costs."
To learn more, consult the report here.
