"The Biggest Crisis Since COVID-19... 10 Million Deaths Predicted" Repeated Warnings on Antibiotic Resistance

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Voices warning about the overprescription and resistance of antibiotics are emerging worldwide. Global health authorities have warned that after the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 million people will die from antibiotic resistance over the coming decades.

Following the World Health Organization (WHO)'s warning that antibiotic resistance will be the greatest health crisis after COVID-19, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also cautioned on the 17th (local time) to be vigilant about antibiotic-resistant infections.

Fox News reported on the 18th, citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that millions of superbug infections occur annually. Superbugs refer to bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Antibiotics are essential drugs for treating bacterial infections that cause pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. However, when antibiotics are overused or misused, the human body develops antibiotic resistance, allowing bacteria to grow unaffected by antibiotics.

According to the CDC recently, 35,000 people in the United States die each year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Superbugs invade the human body with antibiotic resistance and proliferate without being killed by any drugs.

The situation is critical in the UK as well. According to UKHSA, one in five Britons who experienced 'bloodstream infections' last year showed antibiotic resistance reactions.

In this regard, the UK government stated, "This means that antibiotic-resistant infections are likely to increase in the years following the pandemic." Dr. Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA, said, "If we do not act responsibly, serious antibiotic-resistant infections will rise again."

The CDC and WHO warned that if the current trend continues, 10 million people will die from antibiotic resistance over the next several decades.

Meanwhile, an antibiotic resistance alert has also been raised in South Korea. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 18th, 26 out of every 1,000 people in South Korea use antibiotics daily, indicating a higher antibiotic usage rate compared to other countries.

A 2019 survey on 'inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions' showed that 26.1 out of every 1,000 people in South Korea received inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. This is higher compared to other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries such as the Netherlands at 9.5, Finland at 14.7, and Italy at 21.7.