The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong warning about antibiotic resistance becoming a major global health threat, revealing that one in six bacterial infections worldwide no longer respond to available treatments. The alarming details came during the launch of the 2025 Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) Report, which collects data from over 100 countries. Resistance to key antibiotics has surged between 5% and 15% every year since 2018, putting critical medicines at risk and forcing health workers to rely on costly last-resort drugs, especially in low-income regions.
WHO experts highlighted that resistance is highest in Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, affecting one in three infections, and in Africa where one in five are resistant. Dr. Yvan Hutin and Dr. Silvia Bertagnolio stressed that while more countries are joining AMR surveillance efforts, covering over 70% of the global population, there are still big gaps in data, especially in Africa. The report calls for urgent global action to improve surveillance, update treatment guidelines, and strengthen health systems to save lives before antibiotic options run out.
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