North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia have the highest levels of antibiotic resistance, while Europe and North America have the lowest.

Almost half a million premature deaths in 2018 were linked to antibiotic resistance potentially resulting from air pollution, costing global economies an additional $395bn.

The study from researchers at Zhejiang University in China suggests that meeting World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines by 2050 could reduce antibiotic resistance by 17 per cent and prevent 23 per cent of associated premature deaths, which would deliver annual economic savings of $640bn (£500bn).

Although the misuse and overuse of antibiotics are the main drivers of antibiotic resistance, evidence suggests that particulate matter PM2.5 can contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes, which may be transferred between environments and inhaled directly by humans.

The study indicates that increases in air pollution...