WHO alarm over rising hospital infections resistant to antibiotics
A new World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance report reveals a troubling rise in infections in hospitals worldwide that resist standard antibiotic treatments. The data, drawn from 23 million bacterial infections across 104 countries, show one in six infections in 2023 were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The trend, spanning 2018 to 2023, saw more than 40% of antibiotics losing potency against bloodstream, gut, urinary, and sexually transmitted infections, underscoring a global health emergency in progress.
Where resistance is most acute
The report emphasizes that resistance is most severe in low- and middle-income countries and in health systems with limited infection prevention, diagnostics, and access to effective medicines. Projections based on current data suggest a substantial rise in deaths linked to drug resistance in the years ahead. In 2023, regional analyses indicated that one in three bacterial infections in south-east Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, and one in five in Africa, were resistant to antibiotics.
The biology behind the problem
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when pathogens evolve to withstand drugs designed to kill them. The report highlights a troubling emphasis on gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which have outer shells that protect them from many antibiotics. Alarmingly, 40% of E. coli and more than 55% of K. pneumoniae isolates show resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, a frontline class for severe infections. In Africa, resistance to these medicines frequently exceeds 70%.
Second-line drugs under pressure
Resistance to crucial second-line agents, including carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, is rising among key gram-negative bacteria such as Acinetobacter, K. pneumoniae, and Salmonella. These drugs are often reserved for difficult infections when first-line options fail, and reduced effectiveness narrows the available treatment choices, according to Dr. Yvan Hutin, head of WHO’s antimicrobial resistance department.
Implications for deaths and healthcare systems
Past estimates show the human toll of AMR is enormous. In 2021, about 7.7 million deaths globally were linked to bacterial infections, with drug resistance contributing to roughly 4.7 million. The latest data align with warnings from researchers that AMR could push mortality higher as resistant infections outpace the development of new antibiotics. Global efforts now require not only new drugs but smarter use of existing ones and better prevention strategies.
What experts say and what’s needed next
Public health experts stress that addressing AMR requires a two-pronged approach: accelerate diagnostic capacity and surveillance to guide targeted therapy, and stimulate innovation for narrow-spectrum antibiotics that address the infections with the greatest public health impact. Strengthening infection prevention—clean water, sanitation, and vaccination—remains essential to curb transmission. Interdisciplinary, long-term investment in research that explores new therapeutic modalities is urged to outpace resistant bacteria and avoid a tipping point, where treatment options are severely limited.
Conclusion
The WHO findings portray a global health challenge that is intensifying, particularly in resource-limited settings. Without rapid, coordinated action to improve surveillance, diagnostics, rational antibiotic use, and the development of effective new drugs, the toll of resistant infections in hospitals may rise sharply in the coming decades.
