LAHORE: Pfizer Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to working with industry partners and policymakers to help prevent and combat the global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Medical experts are unanimous that if no action is taken, AMR is estimated to result in approximately 10 million deaths globally each year by 2050. AMR can affect anyone, of any age, in any country. It occurs when pathogens change and find ways to resist the effects of antibiotics. The pathogens survive, grow and spread their resistance. This process of adaptation leads to AMR. If no solution is found, the consequences of AMR could be devastating. Minor infections and injuries could become life-threatening, and serious infections such as pneumonia could become impossible to treat. Further, many routine medical procedures could be too risky to perform because of the risk of becoming infected while in hospital by a multi-drug resistant pathogen.—PR