Global antibiotic resistance threat rising, according to WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the latest installment of their Global antibiotic resistance surveillance report. Concerning findings are summarized in a press release.
Surveillance found that antibiotic resistance rose about 5-15% each year from 2018 and 2023. Additional key findings:
- One in every six “laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections” in 2023 were resistant to antibiotics.
- Over the five-year period, more than 40% of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations being surveyed became resistant to antibiotics.
- “More than 40% of E. coli and over 55% of K. pneumoniae globally are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-choice treatment for these infections.”
- E. coli and K. pneumoniae are also becoming resistant to carbapenems and fluoroquinolones.
- Carbapenem resistance is rising.
WHO is asking all countries to contribute to GLASS by 2030. They are also calling for advanced prevention and treatment strategies.
WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a statement, “Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide. As countries strengthen their AMR surveillance systems, we must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics, and vaccines. Our future also depends on strengthening systems to prevent, diagnose and treat infections and on innovating with next-generation antibiotics and rapid point-of-care molecular tests.”
