The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released a new report today calling for action from U.S. policymakers on the global “superbug” crisis. Antimicrobial resistant germs are killing tens of thousands of Americans annually, and the problem is only getting worse in the post-COVID age. The paper is titled, “The World Needs Better Incentives to Combat Superbugs” and is co-authored by Arielle Kane, Director of Health Care at the Progressive Policy Institute and Dr. Michael Mandel, Vice President and Chief Economist at the Progressive Policy Institute.
“Without changing how we use and develop new antimicrobials, millions more people will die, and health advances will be lost,” the co-authors write in the report.
Ms. Kane and Dr. Mandel outline a troubling public health trend that has far-reaching implications – including global economic stressors. The report authors note that roughly 35,000 Americans are killed annually by germs resistant to antimicrobials, or medicines like antibiotics and antifungals that are used to treat infections. These infections are on the rise, and without policy intervention, could kill 12 million people annually worldwide by 2050.
This crisis extends beyond a public health crisis – it is also putting the global economy at risk. According to a World Bank study, these infections could also reduce global GDP by 2%-3.5% by 2050.
The authors call for three methods in combating superbugs and the continuation of this trend, including curtailing the overuse of antimicrobials in medicine, limiting the use of antimicrobials on animals and agriculture; and new incentives to invest in the development of new antimicrobials.
Read and download the full report here:
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.
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Media Contact: Tommy Kaelin; tkaelin@ppionline.org
