ANTIMICROBIAL resistance (AMR) is already a major global health threat. New research now suggests climate change is actively worsening AMR in the Western Pacific, a region facing rising temperatures, extreme weather, and significant health system pressures. The mixed-methods study brings together regional evidence and large-scale data analysis to show how warming climates and socioeconomic vulnerabilities are combining to drive higher AMR-related deaths.
How Climate Change and AMR Interact
AMR develops naturally over time, but misuse of antibiotics and environmental pressures can accelerate the process. According to the researchers, higher ambient temperatures directly promote faster bacterial growth and mutation, increasing the likelihood that resistant strains will emerge.
Climate change also has indirect effects. Extreme weather events, such as floods, heatwaves, and cyclones, can disrupt healthcare services, interrupt infection control, and increase inappropriate antibiotic use. These disruptions create ideal conditions for resistant bacteria to spread in hospitals and communities.
A review of 18 quantitative studies from across the Western Pacific found consistent links between higher temperatures and increased clinical resistance rates, as well as wider environmental spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
Rising Temperatures Linked to Higher AMR Deaths
To quantify these risks, the researchers analysed longitudinal mortality data from the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project. Their analysis showed that each 1°C rise in average temperature was associated with significantly higher AMR-attributable mortality.
The strongest associations were seen for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pathogens commonly linked to severe hospital-acquired infections. These bacteria are already difficult to treat, and rising resistance further limits clinical options.
Importantly, the study also found that socioeconomic factors shape risk. Countries with stronger governance, measured using corruption indices, showed lower mortality from some resistant infections, suggesting that health system capacity and regulation matter alongside climate pressures.
What This Means for Health Systems and Policy
The findings highlight that AMR cannot be addressed in isolation from climate change. In the Western Pacific, projected increases in extreme weather could further strain healthcare systems and worsen antibiotic misuse.
The authors call for climate-resilient health systems, improved AMR governance, and integrated surveillance that links climate, health, and microbiology data. They also stress the need for multisectoral “One Health” approaches involving environmental, meteorological, and public health agencies.
While the study does not prove direct causation, it provides some of the strongest region-specific evidence to date that climate change is amplifying AMR risks, reinforcing the urgency of coordinated action as global temperatures continue to rise.
Reference
Yang L et al. Climate change and antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific: a mixed-methods systematic analysis. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2025;67:101772.
