Health and economic impacts of antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific Region, 2020–2030

Overview

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is projected to cause substantial morbidity and mortality in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region over the next decade, at significant economic cost. By endangering people’s health, AMR poses a threat to health security and has implications for overall development, particularly in Member States that are more vulnerable to the impacts of AMR.

The study, conducted by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control at The University of Hong Kong, is the first to quantify the health and economic impacts of AMR for seven priority bacteria in the Western Pacific Region, as well as model the future spread and cost implications of AMR from 2020 to 2030. In the context of this study, AMR refers to antibiotic resistance, that is resistance to medicines which treat bacterial infections.