Particle.news
Download on the App Store

WHO Warns of Rapid Rise in Antibiotic Resistance, With One in Six Infections Resistant in 2023

GLASS 2025 spotlights fast‑rising gram‑negative resistance, exposing weak surveillance worldwide.

Overview

  • Resistance increased in more than 40% of monitored pathogen–antibiotic pairs from 2018 to 2023, with annual rises estimated at 5–15%.
  • Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean reported roughly one in three infections as resistant, while Africa reported about one in five.
  • Over 40% of E. coli and more than 55% of K. pneumoniae were resistant to third‑generation cephalosporins globally, with resistance in Africa exceeding 70% for key bloodstream infections.
  • Carbapenem resistance is climbing, narrowing treatment options and driving reliance on costly last‑resort drugs that are often unavailable in low‑ and middle‑income countries.
  • GLASS participation reached 104 countries, yet 48% did not report data in 2023 and capacity gaps persist; reporting noted Mexico’s absence, while Argentina’s data linked multidrug‑resistant infections to 50% ICU mortality and showcased new national surveillance tools.