The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers 【RECENT ✭】

Several countries have shown progress. Sweden’s strict antibiotic stewardship programmes have reduced usage by 40% since 1995 while maintaining low resistance rates. Similarly, the UK’s ‘Netflix model’—a fixed annual fee for unlimited access to a new antibiotic—has encouraged development. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where sanitation is poor and antibiotics are sold over the counter, the problem is escalating fastest. Without coordinated global action, the post-antibiotic era—where minor scrapes could once again become deadly—is not science fiction but a foreseeable reality. QUESTIONS Questions 1–5 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?

Tackling antibiotic resistance requires a multi-pronged ‘One Health’ approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health strategies. Key measures include: enforcing prescription-only access, investing in rapid diagnostic tests to distinguish viral from bacterial infections, banning agricultural growth promoters, and creating international surveillance systems. Economic incentives for pharmaceutical companies, such as ‘subscription’ models where governments pay for access rather than volume, are also gaining traction. Public awareness campaigns remain vital, as many patients still pressure doctors for antibiotics despite knowing the risks. Several countries have shown progress

Antibiotic resistance develops when bacteria adapt to survive drugs. Human activities have (6) ______ this natural process. In farming, antibiotics are used for growth and (7) ______, leading to resistant bacteria entering water systems. As a result, routine operations like hip replacements may become (8) ______. To solve this, experts propose a (9) ______ approach combining human, animal, and environmental strategies. Routine medical procedures

The consequences are already measurable. According to a 2022 report in The Lancet , approximately 1.27 million deaths were directly attributed to antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019, with nearly 5 million associated deaths. Without intervention, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects that by 2050, resistance could cause 10 million deaths annually—exceeding cancer’s toll. Routine medical procedures, such as hip replacements or caesarean sections, would become high-risk due to untreatable post-operative infections. and environmental strategies.