Stopping antimicrobial resistance would cost just $2 per person a year, says OECD

Superbug infections could cost the lives of around 2.4 million people in Europe, North America and Australia over the next 30 years unless more is done to stem antibiotic resistance.

Yet, three out of four deaths could be averted by spending just $2 per person a year on measures as simple as handwashing and more prudent prescription of antibiotics, according to a new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report.

Stemming the Superbug Tide: Just A Few Dollars More says that dealing with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) complications could cost up to $3.5 billion a year on average across the 33 countries included in the analysis, unless countries step up their fight against superbugs.