WEDNESDAY, May 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Sustainable development strategies are important for helping low- and middle-income countries to address the dual challenges of climate change and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a study published online April 28 in Nature Medicine.

Weibin Li, from the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues analyzed the impact of socioeconomic and environmental factors on AMR using 4,502 AMR surveillance records involving 32 million tested isolates from 101 countries for 1999 to 2022. Forecast models were established based on several scenarios, considering a reduction in antimicrobial consumption, sustainable development initiatives, and different shared socioeconomic pathways under climate change.

Under different shared socioeconomic pathway scenarios, the researchers identified growing AMR disparities between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries. Compared with baseline, by 2050, the most prominent effect was seen for sustainable development efforts, which reduced the prevalence of AMR by 5.1 percent, surpassing the effect of a reduction in antimicrobial consumption. Reducing out-of-pocket health expenses, comprehensive immunization coverage, adequate health investments, and universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services were key contributors (3.6, 1.2, 0.2, and 0.1 percent, respectively).

“Addressing the complex relationship between climate change, human activities, and AMR requires ongoing research, policy development, and the implementation of targeted interventions,” the authors write. “A multifaceted and collaborative approach is critical to effectively managing AMR and safeguarding global public health.”

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