Health: WHO warns of widespread antibiotic resistance worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday, October 13, of widespread resistance to commonly used antibiotics worldwide.

In 2023, one-sixth of laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were resistant to antibiotic treatments. This figure is on the rise, as between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in more than 40% of pathogen-antibiotic combinations monitored by the WHO.

On average, resistance was increasing by 5% to 15% per year. "Data reported to the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) from more than 100 countries show worryingly that increasing resistance to essential antibiotics poses a growing threat to global health," the WHO noted in a statement.

The new global report on antibiotic resistance surveillance provides, for the first time, estimates of resistance to 22 antibiotics used to treat urinary tract, gastrointestinal, bloodstream infections, and gonorrhea. Eight common bacteria are affected, each responsible for one or more of these infections.

E. coli and K. pneumoniae increasingly dangerous

Antibiotic resistance is highest in Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, with 1 in 3 infections reported. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections were resistant. According to the report's findings, resistance is more common and worsens in countries where health systems lack the capacity to diagnose and treat bacterial infections.

Among the most dangerous bacteria are drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae . More than 40% of the former and 55% of the latter are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the treatment of choice for these infections.

This is more than 70% on the African continent. A very serious situation since these bacteria are responsible for blood infections that can lead to sepsis (a systemic response to a serious infection), organ failure, and death.

There are many other treatment options, but for them too, bacterial resistance is gaining ground, particularly resistance to carbapenems, which was once rare and is now becoming more common. The consequence: this resistance is pushing people to use antibiotics as a last resort, which are expensive, difficult to access, and often unavailable in low-income countries.

Strengthening laboratory systems for more accurate data

“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine and threatening the health of families worldwide,” said ^Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. He recommends “using antibiotics responsibly and ensuring everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostic tools, and vaccines.”

"Our future also depends on strengthening systems for preventing, diagnosing and treating infections, as well as developing next-generation antibiotics and rapid molecular tests that can be used at the point of care," he added .

To combat antibiotic resistance, GLASS also needs the most reliable and comprehensive data possible. But many countries simply lack the surveillance capacity to assess their situation and provide data to the WHO. The WHO is urging all countries to commit to strengthening laboratory systems and producing reliable surveillance data.