Global · Biological
Antimicrobial Resistance
ElevatedBacteria and fungi evolving resistance to the antibiotics that make modern medicine possible.
- Likelihood
- Certain — already underway
- Impact
- Severe; slow-moving but cumulative
- Horizon
- Now to 2050
Background
What this actually is
Antimicrobial resistance is associated with millions of deaths a year globally and is projected to rise substantially by 2050. Unlike a pandemic it has no dramatic onset, which is why it is chronically underfunded.
The economics are broken. A new antibiotic is most valuable when reserved for emergencies, so it earns almost nothing, so companies exit the market. The development pipeline is thin and dominated by small firms.
The consequence is that routine surgery, chemotherapy, childbirth complications and organ transplant all become dangerous again. Modern medicine assumes infection is manageable.
Aotearoa
What it means for New Zealand
New Zealand has comparatively high community antibiotic use and rising rates of resistant organisms, plus significant agricultural antimicrobial use. NZ imports essentially all of its antibiotics, so a resistant-organism problem here would be compounded by supply dependence on a small number of overseas manufacturers.
Watch for
Early warning signs
- ESR surveillance reports showing rising resistance in NZ isolates
- Last-line antibiotics failing in local hospital settings
- Global spread of pan-resistant organisms such as Candida auris
Action
How to prepare
- 01
Do not push for antibiotics you don't need, and always finish a prescribed course as directed
- 02
Vaccinations reduce antibiotic demand — including flu vaccination
- 03
Basic hygiene and wound care genuinely matter
- 04
Food safety practice reduces exposure to resistant organisms
Go deeper
Where to find more information
In an emergency
New Zealand's official channels
- Get Ready — household preparedness
- Civil Defence / NEMA
- GeoNet — quakes, volcanoes, tsunami
- MetService severe weather warnings
In a life-threatening emergency call 111. RNZ National is New Zealand's designated lifeline broadcaster — keep a battery radio.
Connected
Related threats
Get prepared
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