Experts warn that antimicrobial resistance already causes more than four million deaths each year, and the number could rise to more than eight million by 2050. New analysis shows that antibiotic production from large research-based pharmaceutical companies has slowed in the last five years.
The 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark, released on 10 March by the Access to Medicine Foundation, finds the number of candidate antimicrobial drugs in company pipelines fell by 35% since 2021. The report also says only 14% of medicines under development are for children under five, and in Sub-Saharan Africa seventeen countries have no children's antibiotics available from the companies assessed.
Difficult words
- antimicrobial resistance — When germs no longer respond to medicines
- pharmaceutical — Related to making or selling medicines
- pipeline — The development process for new productspipelines
- candidate — A drug being tested for use
- antibiotic — A medicine that kills or stops bacteriaantibiotics
- assess — To examine and judge somethingassessed
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Discussion questions
- Why are medicines for children under five important?
- How would it affect you if antibiotic production in your country slowed?
- What can companies or governments do to help make more medicines for children?
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