Climate change is a worse health threat than we thinkOpinionBy Manica Balasegaram, exclusive to the Sunday Times, Sri LankaGENEVA – It is widely believed that climate change is the single biggest threat to human health. But the situation may in fact be far worse, because the current forecasts fail to account for the inevitable increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Climate change could have a profound effect on AMR, as evidence increasingly indicates that adverse weather and rising temperatures can facilitate the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens. For example, the latest Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change makes no mention of AMR, drug resistance, or antibiotics. The international community is severely underestimating the impact of climate change on people’s health and our ability to treat them.

Source: Sunday Times May 04, 2024 11:48 UTC