New Lancet Commission: Antibiotic resistance is a global threat requiring action beyond silos

2026-11-12

A new Lancet Commission identifies antibiotic resistance among 17 major catastrophic threats to global health this century. As the world marks World AMR Awareness Week, its findings offer an important reminder: tackling antibiotic resistance requires more than new medicines. It demands sustained investment in prevention, equitable access, resilient health and food systems, and coordinated action across sectors.

A new report published in The Lancet on 10 October 2026 places antibiotic resistance among the major threats to global human health over the remainder of the 21st century, which are expected to shape human health outcomes all over the world. Antibiotic resistance is recognized as a threat with potentially profound and long-lasting consequences for human health, alongside climate change, pandemics, inequality, conflict and other global challenges.

Antibiotic resistance 1 of 17 catasrophic areas

The Lancet Commission on 21st century global threats to health review the potential impact of 17 catastrophic threats on the global arena and how they could affect the global population between 2025 and 2100, and how policy decisions could influence their future trajectories. Antibiotic resistance is one of these 17 global health threats.

Years of healthy life lost

For antibiotic resistance, the Commission estimates:

• a cumulative 3.44 billion disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of potentially amenable health burden over this period,
• with a 95% uncertainty interval of 2.84-4.06 billion.

In simpler terms, this corresponds to an estimated difference of 3.44 billion years of healthy life lost between plausible best-case and worst-case scenarios, rather than an inevitable future burden.

Future impact not predetermined

The findings reinforce an important message: the future impact of antibiotic resistance is not predetermined. Governments must turn political commitments into concrete, adequately financed measures that prioritize infection prevention, ensure equitable access to effective antibiotics, and address the underlying social and structural conditions that fuel antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance in a world of polycrisis

One of the Commission’s most important contributions is its recognition that global health threats cannot be fully understood or addressed in isolation.

Catastrophic events, such as climate change and conflicts or ongoing humanitarian issues relating to inequality, economic instability and weaknesses in health systems can all interact, which creates conditions that compound existing vulnerabilities. Antibiotic resistance is part of this wider landscape of interconnected challenges.

Climate-related disruptions, for example, can place additional pressure on health systems which, in turn, affect the conditions in which infectious diseases emerge and spread. In parallel, conflict and humanitarian crises can interrupt healthcare delivery, undermine access to safe water and sanitation, and make appropriate treatment more difficult to obtain.

At the same time, inequality further enhances the consequences of antibiotic resistance. Impacts are far from evenly distributed and people living in settings with limited access to quality healthcare, diagnostics, safe water and effective antibiotics are often particularly vulnerable.

The Commission highlights the geographical differences in future antibiotic resistance-related health burdens, reflecting the importance of social, economic and health-system conditions. This broad perspective is particularly relevant at a time when multiple global crises are placing growing pressure on public resources and international cooperation.

From ReAct’s perspective, the implications are clear: addressing antibiotic resistance cannot be separated from wider efforts to strengthen health systems, reduce inequalities, build resilience and advance sustainable development.

Prevention must be at the center of the response

The Commission calls for a shift towards what it describes as “threat-ready health systems”, built around foresight, prevention, preparedness and protection.

For antibiotic resistance, this means looking beyond how infections are treated once they occur and investing more systematically in preventing them in the first place. These investments should focus on effective infection prevention and control, vaccination, access to safe water and sanitation, and strong primary healthcare, all of which can reduce the burden of infectious diseases and the need for antibiotics.

Across animal health and food production, improved biosecurity, animal welfare and disease prevention can similarly help reduce dependence on antibiotic treatments.

These measures can generate also benefits extending beyond antibiotic resistance by supporting healthier populations, more resilient services and more sustainable food systems.

Resilient food systems

The Commission specifically recognizes resilient food systems as an important enabling factor across multiple global health threats. It highlights how production practices, antibiotic use, climate impacts and food security are connected, and the potential benefits of developing food systems that are less reliant on antimicrobials. This reinforces the importance of a One Health approach that recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health.

Preventing infections and reducing the conditions that drive antibiotic dependence should therefore be understood as essential investments in long-term health and resilience.
Innovation, prevention and access must go hand in hand

Urgent call for investments

The Commission urgently calls for substantial investment in scientific and technological innovation, including the development of new classes of antibiotics. Developing new and effective antibiotics is essential to address the growing threat of resistance and ensure that treatment options remain available for future generations. However, maximizing the public health benefits of these innovations also requires sustained investment in infection prevention, appropriate antibiotic use, affordable diagnostics and quality healthcare. For ReAct, the priority is to ensure that innovation goes hand in hand with equitable access and responsible use, so that new antibiotics reach those who need them while their effectiveness is preserved for the future.

From global recognition to meaningful action

Unlike a sudden disease outbreak, antibiotic resistance often develops gradually, making its growing burden less visible in political and public debate. The Commission also draws attention to a persistent challenge in global health: the tendency to prioritize immediate crises over threats whose consequences accumulate over time. Antibiotic resistance illustrates this problem particularly well and insufficient action now will extend the issue across generations.

Sustained actions and cooperation

Addressing this challenge requires sustained financing, strong institutions, national implementation and accountability, more than simply recognizing antibiotic resistance in global risk assessments or adopting political declarations. It also requires cooperation between governments and across sectors since the issue is shaped by decisions involving healthcare, agriculture, the environment, economic development and other policy areas without any respect for borders or nation states.

The Commission’s emphasis on equity, trust and international cooperation reinforces the importance of building responses that are inclusive, locally relevant and capable of delivering tangible benefits. Here, meaningful participation of civil society and affected communities, particularly those whose needs and perspectives are too often underrepresented in global decision-making.

A long-term challenge requiring action today

As the world marks World AMR Awareness Week 2026, the Lancet Commission offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the future of the global response to antibiotic resistance.

The Commission highlights how differences in policy choices, investment and collective action can lead to substantially different health outcomes.

Possibilities to change course

Its findings are a reminder of the magnitude of the challenge, but also of the possibilities for changing its course. Importantly, recognizing that prevention, equitable access, sustainable financing and effective governance are central to reducing the burden of resistant infections and safeguarding the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations must be in place alongside development of new treatments and new antibiotics.

In an era of interconnected crises, addressing antibiotic resistance cannot remain a task for the health sector alone. It requires political will, sustained investment and collective action across society to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics and build a healthier, more equitable future.