A new study published in BMJ Global Health has revealed that over 500,000 deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could be averted each year with the effective use of existing vaccines and continued development of new vaccines to tackle priority pathogens.
The modelling study, Global and regional burden of attributable and associated bacterial antimicrobial resistance avertable by vaccination, was carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Vaccine Institute, Korea (IVI) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and become resistant to medicines. The condition has been declared by WHO as one of the top ten global threats to global public health, associated with around 4.95 million deaths globally per year.
Science has been playing catch-up to mitigate AMR due to the strain that was faced by health systems worldwide throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using data from 2019 to model the possible impacts of 15 new and existing vaccines against pathogens on WHO’s list of bacterial priority pathogens, the researchers found that around 28 million disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) – the numbers of years lost to disability or reduced lifespans as a result of infection – could be averted.
In the scenario where seven of the vaccines were used for broader populations, an additional 1.2 million deaths and 37 million DALYs would be prevented.
The study results showed that WHO African regions and South-East Asian regions, which account for two-thirds of the vaccine-preventable AMR burden, would see the biggest reduction in burdens associated with drug-resistant infection.
The impact of introductions and scale-ups would also be impactful in these regions to reduce the AMR burden of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptococcus Pneumoniae that is commonly faced.
AMR is predicted to cost the global economy up to $100tn between 2014 and 2050 unless efforts are increased to prevent its spread.
Vaccines contribute to a decline in infections among vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, as well as reduce the need for antimicrobials and the risk of the emergence and spread of resistant strains.
Other measures to prevent, diagnose and treat infection include ensuring access to water, sanitation and hygiene, especially in health facilities; infection prevention and control programmes; and access to and appropriate use of essential diagnostic tools and medicines, including antibiotics.