Tax drugs to fight bugs

Levy could discourage antibiotic overuse and encourage R&D, say Lucas Böttcher and Hans Gersbach

In the EU alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are estimated to be responsible for about 33,000 deaths each year, with associated healthcare costs totalling more than €1.5 billion. 

A study published in January calculated that in 2019, antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for more than a million deaths and associated with almost five million worldwide, placing its burden above HIV and malaria.