Iran’s new security chief to visit Iraq, Lebanon as part of his first foreign trip
A newly appointed Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani has arrived in Baghdad on Monday for his first official visit ...
A major study warns that antibiotic-resistant superbugs could kill millions each year while shrinking the global economy by almost $2 trillion annually by 2050, a crisis driven in part by international aid cuts that undermine resistance efforts.
A U.K. government-funded report by the Center for Global Development shows that if antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not aggressively tackled, it could slash global GDP by an estimated $1.7 trillion each year over the next 25 years, and nearly $2 trillion at peak impact.
The study highlights the potential economic fallout for major economies: China could lose $722 billion annually, the United States $296 billion, the European Union $187 billion, Japan $65.7 billion and the United Kingdom $58.6 billion by 2050. In addition, AMR-related health costs could rise by $176 billion globally, including an increase from $900 million to $3.7 billion in the U.K. and from $15.5 billion to $57 billion in the U.S.
The human toll also looks grim. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicts a 60% jump in AMR-related deaths by 2050, with 1.34 million deaths annually in the U.S. and 184,000 in the U.K. Resistant infections increase hospital admissions, lengthen stays, require more expensive treatments, and result in roughly double the treatment cost compared to non-resistant infections.
The report links this looming crisis to recent cuts in Official Development Assistance. The U.S. has reduced aid spending by around 80%, the U.K. has cut its aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income, and several E.U. countries have made similar reductions. This includes the U.K.’s axing of the Fleming Fund, which supports AMR surveillance in low- and middle-income countries.
Lead author Anthony McDonnell warned that without sustained funding for AMR programs, resistance rates could rise in line with the most pessimistic scenario. He said this would endanger global public health and economic stability, including in G7 countries.
However, there is potential for a positive outcome. The study estimates that if countries increase investment in AMR programs, including support for the development of new antibiotics and quality treatment access, the U.S. economy could grow by $156 billion annually by 2050 and the U.K. by $12 billion.
Dr. Mohsen Naghavi of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said, "Today the threat of AMR is increasing, and without immediate action from all stakeholders the medicines we have access to now could stop working, potentially causing a simple infection to become deadly."
He emphasized that governments must prioritize the development of new drugs, improve public understanding that antibiotics do not treat viruses, and protect AMR programs from aid reductions.
A U.K. government spokesperson said the country’s 10-year health plan recognizes AMR as a major threat. It includes commitments to tackle its spread through new vaccines, antibiotic reduction in agriculture, and global cooperation.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Tech giant Google has announced a $1 billion investment to support Artificial Intelligence (AI) education and research at universities across the United States.
What shapes human nature? Why do some people act with compassion while others turn cruel? For centuries, thinkers — from philosophers and playwrights to theologians and psychologists — have grappled with these timeless questions, searching for what lies at the heart of good and evil.
A new skin cancer drug has been developed using a genetically engineered virus that targets and replicates only cancer cells. That's according to public broadcaster NHK who said that researchers in Japan found that 77.8% of those tested, improved.
Adults are inhaling around 68,000 microplastic particles each day, researchers warn, over 100 times previous estimates.
Americans will soon be able to access and share their medical records through a new “digital health tech ecosystem”, unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump in partnership with more than 60 major technology companies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
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