"Deadly bacteria" are spreading... a warning from the World Health Organization

WHO warns of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

"Deadly bacteria" are spreading... a warning from the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization warned last Monday of the widespread spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, undermining the effectiveness of vital treatments and increasing the likelihood that minor cuts and common infections will become fatal.

The organization revealed in a new report that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 showed resistance to antibiotics. "These findings are deeply worrying," Yvan Hutin, director of the Department of Universal Health Coverage and Communicable Diseases, told reporters. 

"At a time when antibiotic resistance continues to spread, we are running out of options, and we are putting lives at risk." Bacteria have long developed resistance to the drugs designed to treat them, rendering many of them ineffective.

This phenomenon has been accelerated by the widespread use of antibiotics for treating humans, animals, and food, allowing antibiotic resistance to develop and become one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are directly responsible for half a million deaths and contribute to approximately 5 million deaths each year.

In its report on monitoring antibiotic resistance, the WHO examined estimates of the prevalence of resistance to 22 types of antibiotics used to treat urinary tract and gastrointestinal infections, as well as blood infections and gonorrhea. 

Between 2018 and 2021, bacterial resistance to antibiotics increased by more than 40% for the antibiotics studied, with an average annual increase of 5 to 15%, according to the report. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics exceeded 30% globally for urinary tract infections.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization warned that "antibiotic resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide." The WHO praised improvements in surveillance, but warned that 48% of countries still do not report any data on antibiotic resistance. According to available data, most cases of resistance have been recorded in areas with weaker health systems and less rigorous surveillance.