Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, WHO warns of rising mortality rates

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of an alarming increase in antibiotic resistance. According to a new report covered by The Guardian, in 2023, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections was resistant to standard treatment.

Some antibiotics have lost up to 40 percent of their effectiveness against common infections of the blood, gut, urinary tract, and sexually transmitted infections since 2018.

“As antibiotic resistance continues to increase, we are running out of treatment options and putting lives at risk, especially in countries where infection prevention and control is weak and access to diagnostics and effective medicines is already limited,” said Yvan Hutin, director of the WHO's antibiotic resistance department.

In 2021, 7.7 million people worldwide died from bacterial infections. Drug resistance contributed to 4.71 million of those deaths.

The report also notes an increase in resistance to second-line antibiotics, such as carbapenems and fluoroquinolones. Experts warn that drug-resistant infections are outpacing the development of new antibiotics.

The WHO estimates that mortality due to antibiotic resistance could increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. The challenge, therefore, is that it is not enough to develop new drugs. They must be used correctly and target infections that have the greatest impact on public health.

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