Superbugs 10 million 2050 - Up to 10 million people could lose their lives between now and 2050, and it would cost the global economy about $10 trillion to deal with the fall-out of the rise in disease-resistant bacteria.
According to the results of a study commissioned by British PM David Cameron, the rise in such infections could seriously affect the stability of the global economy and disrupt the ability of medical experts to provide proper health care.
Former Goldman Sachs researcher Jim O'Neill, who headed the research, says the analysis of the impact of the impending health crisis on the global economy may have been seriously underestimated by the alarming study.
"This is a significant problem, perhaps on the same dimension as climate change," he said. "Trying to solve it is a bit like climate change. The cost of stopping the problem is significantly lower than the cost of not stopping the problem."
Currently, drug-resistant infections account for only 700,000 deaths each year. In Europe and the US, the number of people who die from drug-resistant diseases stands at 50,000. But the researchers say this figure could rise by up to 10 times if more is not done to promote research and the production of more effective drugs.
The findings of Mr. O'Neill and his team are based on scenarios created by non-profit research institute Rand Europe and KPMG. The team focused on about six common infections, including Tuberculosis, malaria and HIV. Mr. O'Neill has revealed that there are several similar reviews to be released before a final report is put out in 2016.
The final report is expected to contain recommendations on how research into superbugs can be promoted and how drug makers will be supported to produce new drugs based on research findings. It is also expected to contain recommendations for the regulation of drug usage.
Mr. O'Neill, who has noted that poor and developing nations including BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), stand to be most affected, has called on these countries to support research efforts aimed at solving the problem.
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