Drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria could cause more than 39 million deaths in the next 25 years.

This is shown by new estimates published in the medical journal "Lancet".

The study also predicts that 169 million deaths will be linked to drug-resistant infections, Politico points out.

The researchers base their forecasts on an analysis of recent deaths and the impact of measures to control AMR (antimicrobial resistance) deaths.

They found that more than a million people died annually from drug-resistant infections between 1990 and 2021.

During that time, deaths among children under five from AMR decreased by 50 percent, while deaths among people over 70 increased by more than 80 percent.

These trends are expected to continue, with AMR deaths among children under five predicted to halve by 2050 and deaths among people over 70 years to more than double.

The study, conducted by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project, predicts that AMR deaths will increase steadily in the coming decades "unless countermeasures are taken."

The authors estimate that 1,91 million people could die from the direct effects of AMR in 2050 — a nearly 70 percent increase compared to the 1,14 million deaths in 2021, Politico reports.

AMR is also projected to contribute to 8,22 million deaths annually – an increase of nearly 75 percent to 4,71 million related deaths in 2021, the release said.

The authors noted that the decline in AMR-related deaths in 2021 – compared to 2019 – is likely a consequence of measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that they believe it is temporary.

"These findings underscore that AMR has been a significant global health threat for decades and that this threat is growing," said study author Mohsen Nagawi, a professor at the University of Washington.