Pledge at UN follows warnings that antimicrobial resistance may undo century of medical progress and kill 8.2m a year

World leaders have committed to reduce deaths linked to superbugs by 10% before the end of the decade.

The target for 2030, set during a meeting at the UN’s general assembly in New York, came with warnings that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could reverse a century of medical progress.

AMR, where pathogens such as bacteria evolve so that existing medicines no longer work against them, is linked to 4.7 million deaths each year. The toll is projected to reach 8.2 million per year by 2050 on current forecasts.

The new political declaration on AMR, signed by 193 member states, calls for scaled-up action across sectors including farming, pharmaceutical manufacture, environmental protection and healthcare.