An investment of $1 billion to increase access to innovative antibiotics and high-quality treatment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), could boost the European Union’s (EU) economy by $88 billion a year, by the year 2050, finds new research from the Center for Global Development. This is a return on investment of 103:1.
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The research is behind a new, interactive tool published by the Center for Global Development, which estimates the economic impact of AMR in 122 different countries, under multiple scenarios.
A scenario in which the EU invests $1 billion to increase access to innovative antibiotics and high-quality treatment would see health system savings of $5 billion, by 2050. It would also boost the overall total labour force in the EU, and the tourism and hospitality sectors.
These benefits will only be realised if all countries take steps to increase access to new antibiotics and high-quality treatment of AMR. A related 2024 study, on which this research is based, found that an annual investment of $63 billion spent improving access to, and developing new antimicrobials, could generate more than $1.7 trillion in benefits a year by 2050.
Alternatively, in a scenario where the EU fails to keep AMR in check, and instead sees rates progress at the same historical rate as a country in the 15th percentile, AMR could cost the EU $187 billion more, a year, than if AMR rates stay at the status quo. It would also cost health systems in the EU $12 billion a year, by 2050, shrink the labour force by 0.5%, cause tourism to decline by 1.9%, and decrease hospitality by 1.3%.
Anthony McDonnell, policy fellow at the Center for Global Development and lead author of the study, said: “Health systems across the EU spend €15 billion annually treating drug-resistant infections, but taking prudent action now will see a substantial return on investment. While the European Union has long discussed pull incentives for new antibiotics, these efforts have not led to meaningful policy change. It is firmly in the EU’s interest to ensure that people in low-income countries have access to effective, high-quality treatment—to prevent the economic and health impacts of AMR from reaching the EU’s own borders.”