Antimicrobial resistance: Mechanism, causes, prevention and societal impact

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has become a major threat worldwide. According to WHO, AMR will be responsible for causing approximately 10 million deaths worldwide by year 2050 and it will be amongst top 10 public health threats. Antibiotic Resistance (ABR) is the phenomenon in which antibiotics fail to work against bacteria. Post Covid-19 pandemic era has brought us close to many antibiotics due to their indiscriminate use without knowing their efficacy in treating the diseases. AMR is the major threat to lives, economy and resources affecting the total population, manpower and the quality of human resources. Not only humans, it also affects mortality and morbidity rate of animals. Even though there are extensive research being carried out to address the issue of the AMR, still there are various knowledge gaps. Through this narrative review, we aim to understand the mechanism of development of AMR, its drivers and the steps to be taken by the researchers, policy makers, general public and other stakeholders to mitigate the use of antimicrobials in various sectors. In addition to this, the review also discusses the implications of the AMR to our society. We believe that the in-depth knowledge of all the contributary factors, preventive measures and societal impact of AMR documented here will help to design effective strategies to fight against the AMR menace.