How You Can Save Money Treating Resistant Infections – WHO

Do you know there is a way you can actually save money and achieve better health outcomes while treating resistant infections?

This is a key implication of a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO revelation is coming amidst global efforts at addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which happens when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.

This, which comes with heavy financial and emotional implications, makes people sicker and increasing the risk of illness, death and the spread of infections that are difficult to treat.

“AMR is driven largely by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, yet, at the same time, many people around the world do not have access to essential antimicrobials. Each year, nearly 5 million deaths are associated with AMR globally”, the health organisation says.

Saving money treating resistant pathogens

The WHO report found that vaccines against 24 pathogens could reduce the number of antibiotics needed by 22% or 2.5 billion defined daily doses globally every year.

Describing vaccines as an essential part of the response to reduce AMR, the WHO says they prevent infections, reduce the use and overuse of antimicrobials, and slow the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

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This is an expansion of another WHO study published in BMJ Global Health last year, and estimates that vaccines already in use against pneumococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib, a bacteria causing pneumonia and meningitis) and typhoid could avert up to 106 000 of the deaths associated with AMR each year.

It said that an additional 543 000 deaths associated with AMR could be averted annually when new vaccines for tuberculosis (TB) and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are developed and rolled out globally. While new TB vaccines are in clinical trials, one against Klebsiella pneumoniae is in early stage of development.

“Addressing antimicrobial resistance starts with preventing infections, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for doing that,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Prevention is better than cure, and increasing access to existing vaccines and developing new ones for critical diseases, like tuberculosis, is critical to saving lives and turning the tide on AMR.”

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Vaccines are key to preventing infection

Listing the advantages of vaccines to health outcomes, the WHO says:

1. Vaccinated people have fewer infections
2. Vaccinated people are protected against potential complications from secondary infections

• Vaccines could significantly reduce the substantial economic costs of AMR

1. Globally, the hospital costs of treating resistant pathogens evaluated in the report are estimated at US$ 730 billion each year. If vaccines could be rolled out against all the evaluated pathogens, they could save a third of the hospital costs associated with AMR.
2. A comprehensive, people-centred approach applied across health systems is needed to prevent, diagnose and treat infections. This approach recognizes vaccination as core to preventing AMR and especially impactful when combined with other interventions.