A WHO report warns that one in six confirmed bacterial infections in 2023 was resistant to antibiotics
In 2023, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were found to be resistant to antimicrobials, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Between 2018 and 2023, resistance increased in more than 40% of monitored antibiotics, which ‘is limiting empirical treatment options and driving a shift from oral to intravenous treatments, including greater reliance on second-line and last-resort antibiotics,’ the report warns. For example, globally, nearly 45% of Escherichia coli bacteria are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, a proportion that varies from 20% in Europe to more than 70% in Africa.
Trent Yarwood - resistencia antibióticos OMS EN
Trent Yarwood
Infectious diseases physician and specialist with the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
The Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report is compiled by WHO from over 100 countries, with data on drug-resistant infections. It shows that drug resistance continues to increase around the world, but especially in areas with limited health services. Resistant infection is a major problem in Australia's part of the world - with high rates of resistance in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.
In some parts of the world, one in three infections are resistant to common antibiotics, including second- and third-line treatments. The germs that cause urine and some blood infections can be resistant to antibiotics in more than half of cases globally, and more than two-thirds in some parts of Africa. This means that simple infections - which used to be able to be treated with tablets - now need time in hospital, and in some cases have no effective treatment at all.
Everyone can do something about drug resistance - prevent infections by washing your hands, getting vaccinated and practising good food safety. Only take antibiotics when they are necessary and only for as long as is recommended by your doctor. This report highlights that we are all connected, so the world needs to work together to help solve the problem.
COI statement: Trent is an unpaid member of the policy and advocacy committee of ASID. No other financial or other conflicts of interest.
Verlaine Timms - resistencia antibióticos OMS EN
Verlaine Timms
Senior Research Fellow at the University of Newcastle
The WHO’s global report on antibiotic resistance calls for a “One Health” approach linking human, animal, and environmental health. But most of the data still comes from hospitals and clinics, focusing on human infections caused by bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella. The findings are worrying as resistance continues to rise and treatments are failing.
But there’s a major blind spot. Antibiotic resistance isn’t limited to hospitals, and it doesn’t only spread through harmful bacteria. It can also be carried by harmless microbes found in animals, water, soil, and even within our own bodies. These microbes act as silent carriers, passing resistance genes to more dangerous bacteria. That means they play a critical role in the spread of resistance, even if they don’t cause disease themselves.
By only looking at the microbes that make people sick, we’re ignoring the bigger network that helps resistance spread. The WHO’s Tricycle survey aims to track resistant E. coli across people, animals, and the environment. But most of the data still comes from human health. To truly tackle antibiotic resistance, we need to pay attention to the microbes we usually overlook."
World Health Organisation
- Report
