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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.