ABSTRACT
Antimicrobials, medications used to treat bacterial, fungal, viral, and protozoal infections, play a critical role in keeping humans and animals healthy today. The rise of antimicrobial resistance is threatening to undo more than 100 years of medical progress, with estimates of global annual human mortality attributable to antimicrobial resistance reaching 10 million by 2050 (exceeding the current number of annual human deaths due to all cancers combined). Reversing this worrying trend will require a concerted global effort with a focus on planetary health to reduce antimicrobial use and promote antimicrobial and antifungal stewardship. It will require strong governance, increased surveillance and reporting, more research, and the development of new technologies, as well as social and institutional behavioural change.
