The WHO predicts that antimicrobial resistance will be the number one cause of death globally by 2050.

Omissions

• The 'number one cause of death by 2050' prediction comes from the O'Neill Review (2014–2016), commissioned by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust, not from the WHO. The MEP attributes it to the WHO.
• The WHO's official fact sheet on AMR does not state that AMR will be the number one cause of death by 2050.
• A major Lancet study published in September 2024 projects significantly lower AMR mortality by 2050 (1.91 million direct deaths, 8.22 million associated deaths), revising the O'Neill Review's 10 million figure downward.
• Ischemic heart disease is currently the leading cause of death globally; for AMR to become number one it would have to surpass heart disease, stroke, and other major causes — a scenario not supported by the latest Lancet projections.
• The speaker's session date (2026-05-18) predates some of the more recent data on this topic; the Lancet 2024 projections would have been available to her.

Sources

• PrimaryWHO Fact Sheet: Antimicrobial ResistanceIt is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. The fact sheet does not state that AMR will be the number one cause of death by 2050.
• PrimaryWHO Indonesia: Deaths due to AMR estimated to reach 10 million people by 2050This figure is projected to continue to increase and by 2050 it is estimated that it will cause 10 million deaths. Does not state AMR will be the number one cause of death.
• AcademicThe Lancet: Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021Projected 1.91 million direct deaths and 8.22 million associated deaths attributable to AMR by 2050. In 2014, the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (O'Neill) projected that 10 million deaths caused by AMR could occur by 2050.
• AcademicPMC: Will 10 Million People Die a Year due to Antimicrobial Resistance by 2050?The review estimated that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050. This estimate has become a familiar refrain. The review was the O'Neill Review, not a WHO publication.
• SecondaryNature: 40 million deaths by 2050 — toll of drug-resistant infections to riseBy 2050, around 2 million people — the majority aged 70 and over — could die from drug-resistant infections each year, citing the Lancet study.