30,000 people died from superbug infections in 2020, CDC finds

Antibiotic Resistance Project

Drug-Resistant Infections Surged During the Pandemic THE NEW YORK TIMES Antibiotic-resistant infections killed nearly 30,000 people in 2020—a 15% increase from the year before. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explores the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the growing superbug threat. KEY FINDINGS Not Enough Antibiotics to Address Resistance, WHO Says WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Since 2017, only 12 new antibiotics have been approved, and 10 of them belong to existing classes that already face resistance. It's high time to fix the broken antibiotics market—before it's too late. KEY STATS Urge Congress to Act on Superbugs Antibiotic-resistant bacteria caused more deaths in 2019 than HIV or malaria, and the threat is growing. If passed, though, the PASTEUR Act will encourage innovation of new antibiotics—and save lives. It's time for Congress to act. SPEAK UP QUOTE OF NOTE "[Before antibiotics,] more [soldiers] died of their wounds than died on the battlefield." Dame Sally Davies, U.K. special envoy on antimicrobial resistance See the BBC video clip Layoffs Underscore Struggle for New Antibiotics Following the Food and Drug Administration's decision not to approve a new drug for antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections, Spero Therapeutics was forced to lay off 75% of its employees. FULL STORY 'We're Already Ignoring the Next Pandemic' HARVARD PUBLIC HEALTH In the face of mounting resistance and a lack of innovation, "what the world desperately needs is a new golden age of antibiotics," writes Henry B. Skinner, CEO of the Antimicrobial Resistance Action Fund. EXPERT OPINION IN THE MEDIA The Pandemic Fueled a Superbug Surge. Can Medicine Recover? WIRED A Disaster of Our Own Making With Antimicrobial Resistance THE HILL Superbugs Could Cause a Disaster Worse Than COVID If We Don't Act THE TELEGRAPH (U.K.) Antibiotic-Resistant Typhoid From Asia Is Spreading Worldwide BLOOMBERG For Poorer Countries, Lack of Access to Antibiotics Worsens Resistance CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY

Antibiotics are fundamental to modern medicine, essential for treating everything from routine skin infections to strep throat, and for protecting vulnerable patients receiving chemotherapy or being treated in intensive care units. Pew's antibiotic resistance project is working to ensure both the prudent use of existing drugs and a robust pipeline of new drugs in order to meet current and future patient needs. SaveAntibiotics.org 901 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20004-2008 Copyright © 2022 The Pew Charitable Trusts. All Rights Reserved.