The World Health Organization (WHO) has released latest data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), confirming that resistance to essential antibiotics is both widespread and increasing. The data for 2023 demonstrates that the burden of AMR is not uniformly distributed, showing the highest levels in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO regional statistics indicate that the South-East Asia Region recorded the highest median AMR at 31.1%. Closely following was the Eastern Mediterranean Region with a median of 30.0%. These figures align with the finding that approximately one in three reported infections in these two regions were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The global median AMR for the 93 assessed combinations stood at 17.2%. Other regions reported lower, though still significant, median resistance rates:
Analysis by infection type indicates resistance is most common in certain clinical areas. Globally, approximately one in three urinary tract infections (UTIs) exhibited resistance, and one in six bloodstream infections (BSIs) were resistant. Gastrointestinal infections showed a lower median resistance (one in 15), as did urogenital gonorrhoeal infections (one in 25).
However, these median figures conceal substantial variations at the specific antibiotic level. For urogenital gonorrhoea, the global resistance level to the common antibiotic ceftriaxone is low at 0.3%, but resistance to ciprofloxacin is significantly higher, reaching 75.0%. This difference underscores the varying effectiveness of specific drug treatments.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools and fact checked by human editors.
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WHO regional statistics indicate that the South-East Asia Region recorded the highest median AMR at 31.1%. Closely following was the Eastern Mediterranean Region with a median of 30.0%. These figures align with the finding that approximately one in three reported infections in these two regions were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The global median AMR for the 93 assessed combinations stood at 17.2%. Other regions reported lower, though still significant, median resistance rates:
- African Region: 19.6%
- Region of the Americas: 14.7%
- European Region: 10.2%
- Western Pacific Region: 9.1%
Analysis by infection type indicates resistance is most common in certain clinical areas. Globally, approximately one in three urinary tract infections (UTIs) exhibited resistance, and one in six bloodstream infections (BSIs) were resistant. Gastrointestinal infections showed a lower median resistance (one in 15), as did urogenital gonorrhoeal infections (one in 25).
However, these median figures conceal substantial variations at the specific antibiotic level. For urogenital gonorrhoea, the global resistance level to the common antibiotic ceftriaxone is low at 0.3%, but resistance to ciprofloxacin is significantly higher, reaching 75.0%. This difference underscores the varying effectiveness of specific drug treatments.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools and fact checked by human editors.
Read next: Alphabet CEO Pichai Warns Users Against 'Blindly Trusting' AI, Cites Market ‘Irrationality’
