Overview
- Between 2018 and 2023, resistance rose in over 40% of monitored pathogen–antibiotic pairs, with average annual increases of roughly 5–15%.
- South‑East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean reported about one in three infections resistant, with the African region near one in five.
- More than 40% of E. coli and over 55% of Klebsiella pneumoniae infections are resistant to third‑generation cephalosporins, narrowing first‑line options for sepsis and urinary infections.
- U.S. data show NDM‑producing carbapenem‑resistant Enterobacterales infections climbed 460% from 2019 to 2023, reflecting the spread of especially hard‑to‑treat strains.
- WHO calls for stronger stewardship, infection prevention, diagnostics, equitable access to effective medicines, and faster antibiotic R&D as significant surveillance gaps persist in many countries.