The World Health Organization (WHO) says the rate of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide.
According to the report, which uses data from the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) from over 100 countries, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments.
The report also found that antibiotic resistance rose in over 40% of the monitored antibiotics between 2018 and 2023, amounting to an annual increase of 5-15%.
Dr Sohinee Sarkar from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute told the AusSMC that although the report has some critical gaps in data capture, it clearly shows what the WHO have been warning about for over a decade - there has been a worrying rise in AMR in some of the most common infection types.
“As a researcher working in early-stage drug discovery of new antimicrobials, I am concerned that the GLASS report may only show the tip of the iceberg.”
“Even though countries such as Australia are doing quite well with AMR surveillance and antibiotic stewardship, this is really a global problem that requires more integration of ‘One Health/One World’ measures,” she said.
The WHO report indicates that drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are becoming more dangerous worldwide, including in Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli.
According to Associate Professor Rietie Venter from the University of South Australia, low- and middle-income countries face the greatest burden from these infections.
“These regions often struggle with limited access to newer or last-line antibiotics, exacerbating the impact of resistant infections.”
“In contrast, Australia is performing relatively well. For example, resistance to carbapenem antibiotics in A. baumannii remains below 3%, significantly lower than the global average of 54.3%,” she told the AusSMC.
However, Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake from the Australian National University says this shouldn’t be a source of solace for Australia.
“Studies show that antibiotic-resistant infections make it across the world through international travel, which has never been as accessible before.”
Assoc Prof Senanayake suggests that we can combat the AMR pandemic by helping poorer countries build better surveillance systems, conducting research into new vaccines, creating alternatives to antimicrobials, and increasing governmental support, among other strategies.
You can see the full AusSMC Expert Reaction here.
This article originally appeared in Science Deadline, a weekly newsletter from the AusSMC. You are free to republish this story, in full, with appropriate credit.
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