WHO: Improving vaccination could reduce antibiotic use by 2.5 billion doses per year

Globally, hospital costs of treating drug-resistant pathogens are estimated at $730 billion per year. If vaccines were available for all pathogens evaluated, one-third of these hospital costs could be saved.

The report calls for a people-centered, integrated approach by health systems to prevent, diagnose and treat infections, with vaccination considered central to preventing antimicrobial resistance, and more effective when combined with other interventions.

At the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance held on September 26, leaders adopted a political declaration, committing to a series of clear goals and actions, including reducing the estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance by 10% by 2030. The declaration stressed the importance of access to vaccines, medicines, treatments and diagnostics, while calling for incentives and financing mechanisms to promote cross-sectoral health research, innovation and development to jointly combat antimicrobial resistance.