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"Antimicrobials save lives, but their use has to be measured. The more exposed microbes are to pharmaceuticals, the more likely they are to adapt to them": UNEPexpert Carvalho.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that up to 10 million people could die annually by 2050 because of the resistance that microorganisms have developed to antimicrobial drugs.
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"Antimicrobials save lives, but their use has to be measured. The more exposed microbes are to pharmaceuticals, the more likely they are to adapt to them," stated Leticia Carvalho, head of the UNEP Marine and Sweet Water Branch.
Intended to kill or inhibit the growth of pathogens, antimicrobial drugs comprise antibiotics, fungicides, antiviral agents, and antiparasitics, most of which are excreted into the environment as active substances.
"The same factors that cause environmental degradation are aggravating the problem of antimicrobial resistance," Carvalho lamented, noting that the mistreatment of wastewater and the deficiency of sewer systems prompt pathogens to interact with pharmaceuticals and develop resistance to them.
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“The microb resistance to drugs is disproportionately affecting the countries of the South,” she noted, explaining that these countries have fewer resources to counteract the causes of this situation.
"Addressing this issue then requires a multinational response, which recognizes that human and animal health are interdependent and closely related to the environment,” Carvalho considered.
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the importance of preventing health crises. Let’s not let our guard down and work together in the face of this new threat," the UNEP expert highlighted.
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