The rising resistance to third-line antibiotics – the drugs that are considered as the last line of defence against serious illness – poses a worrisome threat to population health. When microbes develop resistance to last-resort antibiotics, it severely undermines the effectiveness of available medical treatments and procedures such as chemotherapy, organ transplants and surgeries, making it more difficult and costly to treat infections and exacerbating the risk of complications and deaths. 

The latest OECD analysis suggest that by 2035, resistance to third-line antimicrobials could more than double in OECD countries compared to the 2005 levels. This challenge is more pronounced in EU/EEA countries, where resistance to third-line antibiotics could triple over the same period.

Resistant infections have a considerable impact on both health and the economy. They are more challenging and costly to treat, often resulting in longer hospital stays and more intense medical care. Furthermore, the burden of resistant infections extends beyond health systems as they lower employment rates and reduce productivity at work. 

The latest OECD analysis shows that every year, AMR costs nearly USD PPP 66 billion across 34 OECD and EU/EEA countries. The annual cost to the health systems in these countries is estimated to reach around USD PPP 28.9 billion every year and the annual cost to the broader economies is at around USD PPP 36.9 billion. 

Return-on-investment (ROI) analysis is a valuable tool for guiding policy decisions. By quantifying the costs and potential returns associated with various policy interventions, ROI analysis can support policy makers in efforts to allocate limited resources to policies that promise the highest return. 

The latest OECD analysis calculated the ROI associated with 11 interventions and three policy packages. For example, the annual average cost of implementing a One Health package – involving action in human health and the food sector – is around five times lower than the savings in health expenditure and gains in productivity combined.