The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report published on Thursday that by investing in vaccines, the use of 2.5 billion doses of antibiotics could be reduced each year.
Changes in bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites over time lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which renders drugs ineffective.
Antimicrobial drugs, from antibiotics to antivirals, have increased life expectancy since their discovery a century ago. Every day, these essential medicines prove effective in saving millions of lives. But it is possible that one day these drugs will stop working.
It is a huge threat to public health and development and is responsible for nearly 5 million deaths every year. A major reason for this is the misuse or overuse of antibiotics.
The role of vaccines is considered crucial in global efforts to overcome the challenge of AMR. With their help, infections can be prevented, the use of antimicrobial drugs can be reduced, and the growth and spread of microbes that neutralize drugs can be slowed down.
Vaccines are a major solution
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the United Nations Health Organization, said that combating antimicrobial resistance starts with preventing infection and that vaccines are one of the most powerful solutions.
According to the report, the vaccine can help fight 24 pathogens and reduce antibiotic use by 22 percent.
Many vaccines are already available but underutilized, while others need to be developed and brought to market as soon as possible.
prevent death
According to UN experts, vaccines are already used to protect against Pneumococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b, which are responsible for pneumonia, typhoid, meningitis and other diseases.
Its use could prevent 100,000 deaths, while vaccines for TB and Klebsiella pneumonia could prevent about 550,000 deaths.
The WHO director-general said prevention is better than cure and it is important to save lives and stop AMR by increasing access to existing vaccines and developing new ones.
Vaccinated people are less likely to get the infection and are also protected from other types of infections. Also, they will not need to be hospitalized and given antibiotics there.
call to action
Antimicrobial resistance also has a large economic cost and can be prevented with vaccines.
Globally, the cost of treating AMR patients is $730 billion per year. By getting them covered by the vaccine, hospital costs due to AMR could be reduced by one-third.
In September 2024, during the UN General Assembly’s annual High-Level Week, world leaders adopted a political declaration setting specific targets for overcoming AMR. Among these, deaths due to AMR are also expected to decrease by 10 percent by 2030.
The political manifesto emphasized a number of important measures, such as increasing access to vaccines, medicines, treatments and diagnostics; and ensuring financial support to encourage research and innovative solutions.