World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week shines a spotlight on one of the most serious global health threats of our time, as superbugs and the ‘silent pandemic’ of drug-resistant infections threaten to undermine modern medicine and push health systems back to the medical dark ages.
World AMR Week , which begins today, highlights the spread of drug-resistant infections and the importance of safe, appropriate antimicrobial use. This year’s theme — Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future — underscores the urgent need for global action to combat AMR, a crisis already affecting health systems, food security, environment, and economies worldwide.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen warned Australia risks a return to the medical dark ages if resistance to antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals, is not addressed.
“Antimicrobial resistance is not a distant threat — it is a present-day emergency,” Dr McMullen said.
“We are already seeing the consequences in our hospitals and in our communities. Without decisive action, we risk losing the effectiveness of life-saving treatments.”
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve and no longer respond to antimicrobials. As a result, common infections become harder to treat, leading to prolonged illness, disability, and even death.
In Australia, rates of bacterial resistance are trending upwards in both hospital settings and the community. Fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli blood infections have increased from 1.9 per cent in 2006 to 13.4 per cent in 2023. Between 1,000 and 2,500 people die in hospital each year as a result of infections caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Worldwide, in 2021 an estimated 4.71 million deaths were linked to bacterial AMR, including 1.14 million deaths directly attributable to it. If action isn’t taken, it’s estimated more than 39 million people globally will die from AMR between now and 2050. The economic impact is equally alarming, with estimates suggesting AMR could cost the Australian economy between $142 billion and $283 billion annually, and $80 to $90 trillion globally.
"Beyond human health, the overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture — and their release into the environment — are major contributors to resistance, with resistant bacteria able to spread from farms and food systems into communities,” Dr McMullen said. “While every sector must act, the medical profession has a vital role to play in leading stewardship efforts and safeguarding the effectiveness of these life‑saving medicines."
Dr McMullen cautioned against policy decisions that could worsen the problem, such as expanding prescribing rights to non-medical professionals without appropriate safeguards, adding that while antibiotics are vital to modern medicine, they must be prescribed carefully and responsibly.
“Overprescribing and inappropriate use are major contributors to resistance,” Dr McMullen said. “Australia has traditionally restricted prescribing to medical practitioners, which remains the safest and preferred model. We must avoid dangerous experiments, which risk not only fragmentation of care, but also patient safety through antimicrobial resistance.”
An AMA report, Antimicrobial resistance: the silent pandemic , noted Australia is well-placed to lead global efforts to tackle AMR, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, but highlighted gaps in public awareness, stewardship, research incentives, and national One Health governance.
“The AMA report highlights how we can achieve behavioural change, incentivise antimicrobial research, and unify approaches to antimicrobial resistance,” Dr McMullen said.
“We were delighted to see legislation pass recently on the new Australian Centre for Disease Control which will be able to provide scientific leadership and coordination on this issue.”
