We need to talk about antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

For most of us, infections are successfully treated with antimicrobial drugs. Few of us remember life before antibiotics when this wasn’t the case. But this reality is changing.

Some antimicrobial drugs are no longer effective due to the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an urgent and growing global crisis that threatens human and animal health.

AMR occurs when microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, evolve and acquire resistance to the drugs designed to kill them. This makes infections harder—or even impossible—to treat, leading to severe health consequences and threatening food safety.

Why bacterial AMR is a major concern

Of all forms of AMR, bacterial resistance to antibiotics is the most urgent. Antibiotics, a critical class of antimicrobials that have been around for about 100 years, are widely used to treat bacterial infections. Around one in three Australians (9.8 million people) have at least one antibiotic dispensed each year (1).

The frequency of antibiotic use has accelerated AMR. In a world where antimicrobial drugs stop working, people and livestock die of infections, and medical procedures like chemotherapy and surgeries like caesarean sections become too dangerous to perform.

This isn't a hypothetical future—it’s happening now.

AMR is a global health crisis

The stats are downright scary. A Lancet study estimated that bacterial AMR directly caused 1.27 million deaths and contributed to another 4.95 million more deaths worldwide in 2019 alone (2).

These deaths were not from rare and exotic bacterial infections – commonly occurring lower respiratory infections, like pneumonia and bronchitis, accounted for more than 400,000 of the deaths and another 1.5 million of the associated deaths.

The World Bank predicts that by 2050, AMR could contribute to more than 10 million deaths globally each year, with a US$100 trillion economic impact if no action is taken (3).

Can new antibiotics solve the problem?

Developing new antimicrobials is part of the solution, but it’s not that simple. The WHO reports that the pipeline of new antibiotics is running dry, with insufficient research and development in the face of rising AMR in existing drugs (4).

Developing new drugs takes over 15 years and costs more than $1 billion, and even so, 90% don’t reach the market because they fail in clinical trials (5).

Meanwhile, bacteria have many ways to acquire resistance and evolve faster than we can develop new treatments. If microorganisms become resistant to a drug, then that drug will no longer be effective for everyone.

The main drivers of drug resistance in microorganisms are the inappropriate use (misuse) and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants. This makes antimicrobial stewardship essential—ensuring antibiotics are used appropriately–to slow resistance.

Fighting AMR requires global action and better communication

Addressing AMR requires collaboration between all stakeholders–governments, healthcare professionals, industry, researchers and the public–in AMR surveillance and stewardship programs, policies, legislation and research. This is underway in Australia and all over the world. 

Effective communication is key to raising awareness and driving action. One of the challenges of AMR is that it is a “silent pandemic” (6). It is difficult to communicate but crucial to discuss. Documentaries like Silent Pandemic by Michael Welch highlight its urgency.

AMR is a constantly evolving phenomenon. It requires an understanding of health literacy and a change in behaviour from all of us. That’s why we need to talk about AMR, today.

Everyone needs to understand the impact of AMR and take action, not just healthcare professionals.

My role in AMR communication

I work with clients who want their ideas, data and projects to make an impact. I love translating complex AMR issues and data into clear, impactful and evidence-based messages for all audiences.

The fact that most people can't pronounce "antimicrobial resistance" – let alone understand what it means – has been on my mind for a while. I was excited to pitch this idea to AMR Action+Insights, and it was fantastic to delve deeper into understanding the issues around why the term ‘AMR’ just isn't working to help the public understand AMR.

I was involved in the creation of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s AURA 2023: Fifth Australian Report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Human Health report, which analysed data and highlighted trends in antimicrobial use and AMR in Australian acute and community healthcare settings. I also wrote targeted materials to communicate AURA 2023 key messages to aged care, primary care and pharmacy audiences.

I co-published a paper on point-of-care testing as a strategy for antimicrobial stewardship with CSIRO.

The fight against AMR requires awareness, action and collaboration. If you need expertise in AMR communication and messaging, reach out. Let’s work together for a brighter and healthier future with effective antimicrobials.

References:

1.     Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. AURA 2023: fifth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2023.

2.     Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators. (2022). Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. The Lancet; 399(10325): P629-655. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0

3.     Jonas,Olga B.; Irwin, Alec; Berthe,Franck Cesar Jean; Le Gall,Francois G.; Marquez,Patricio V. Drug-resistant Infections: a threat to our economic future (Vol. 2 of 2): final report (English). HNP/Agriculture Global Antimicrobial Resistance InitiativeWashington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/323311493396993758

4.     WHO (2023). Antimicrobial Resistance [Fact Sheet]. https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance

5.     Eastwood, K. 2024, ‘Accelerating AI to search for new antibiotics', AMR Action + Insights,  25 February, accessed 25 February, 2025. https://amr-action.au/accelerating-ai-to-search-for-new-antibiotics/

6.     “Silent Pandemic: The Global Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance”, film. Directed by Michael Wech (2022) https://www.amr-film.com.