Almost 40million people could die from antibiotic resistant infections between now and 2050.
Researchers found more than one million people died from drug-resistant infections each year between 1900 and 2021.
Worryingly, they revealed this could increase to nearly two million by 2050.
The research, published in medical journal The Lancet, suggested this is expected to kill 39million in a little over 25 years.
It’s estimated a third of people could be saved if they have wider access to appropriate antibiotics and better treatment.
Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when bacteria evolves in a way that makes them survive the drugs that were once deadly to them.
It means common illnesses such as pneumonia, UTIs, and diarrhoea become more lethal.
However, a growing number of microbes are becoming resistant because of widespread use of antibiotics.
The researchers, who are part of the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance Project, are the first to look at AMR trends around the world and over time.
The study looked at 520 million datasets, which included hospital discharge records, insurance claims and death certificates from 204 countries.
They found that while the overall number of AMR deaths has been rising, the figure for young children has been falling due to vaccinations and improved healthcare.
They revealed that between 1990 and 2021, deaths due to AMR decreased more than 50% among children younger than five, compared with a rise of more than 80% in adults over 70.
Deaths due to antibiotic resistance rose from 1.06 million in 1990 to 1.27 million in 2019 and then fell to 1.14 million in 2021. This could be a temporary blip caused by Covid-19 control measures which also reduced other kinds of infections.
The team added 11million deaths could be prevented between now and 2050 if new antibiotics are developed against the most problematic bacteria.
Study author Dr Mohsen Naghavi, who led the research team at the Institute of Health Metrics (IHME), said: ‘Antimicrobial medicines are one of the cornerstones of modern healthcare, and increasing resistance to them is a major cause for concern.
‘These findings highlight that AMR has been a significant global health threat for decades and that this threat is growing.
‘Understanding how trends in AMR deaths have changed over time, and how they are likely to shift in future, is vital to make informed decisions to help save lives.’
The authors note most of the future deaths from AMR will be highest in South Asia, in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh where there could be 11.8million fatalities.
Study co-author Dr Stein Emil Vollset said: ‘By 2050, resistant infections could be involved in some 8 million deaths each year, either as the direct cause of death or as a contributing factor.
‘To prevent this from becoming a deadly reality, we urgently need new strategies to decrease the risk of severe infections through vaccines, new drugs, improved healthcare, better access to existing antibiotics, and guidance on how to use them most effectively.’
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