Antibiotic Resistance on the Rise
By Frank Okello
The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that antibiotic resistance is rapidly spreading, turning treatable infections into deadly threats and silently fueling what experts now call a “global health crisis.”
Infections that were once cured with common drugs are increasingly defying treatment. WHO data shows that nearly one in six bacterial infections is now resistant to standard antibiotics, a frightening reality that leaves millions vulnerable to illnesses that were previously routine.
According to the agency’s latest surveillance report, antibiotic resistance rose in more than 40 per cent of the bacteria-drug combinations tracked between 2018 and 2023, with average annual increases ranging from five to 15 per cent.
The report, based on data from over 100 countries, offers the most comprehensive picture yet of the scale of the problem. It found that one in three infections in WHO’s South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions were resistant to antibiotics, compared with one in five in Africa.
Several factors are driving this growing resistance. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics remain the leading cause, with many people taking them without prescriptions or for viral illnesses where they are useless.
Weak diagnostic capacity pushes clinicians to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics “just in case.” Poor sanitation and inadequate infection control in overcrowded healthcare facilities also accelerate bacterial spread, while the excessive use of antibiotics in livestock farming contaminates food chains.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies, deterred by low profit margins, have largely abandoned antibiotic research, leaving the world with a shrinking arsenal of effective drugs.
The WHO and global health leaders are calling for urgent, coordinated action. They emphasize the “One Health” approach, which recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected.
Governments are being urged to tighten antibiotic regulation, expand surveillance, and invest in research for new drugs and alternative therapies such as bacteriophages and antimicrobial peptides.
“As countries strengthen their Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance systems, we must use antibiotics responsibly and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics and vaccines,” says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.
Experts argue that combating this crisis demands more than policy, requires public understanding and behavioral change. Communities must learn that antibiotics are not universal cures. Responsible use, guided by proper medical advice, can save lives in the long run. Educating farmers and health workers on stewardship, promoting vaccination, and encouraging innovation in medical research can collectively reverse the trend. The cost of inaction, WHO warns, could be catastrophic, with millions of lives lost annually by 2050 if resistance continues unchecked.
Antibiotic resistance is more than a medical issue; it is a test of global cooperation and responsibility. It threatens to undo decades of medical progress and exposes the fragility of modern healthcare systems. Every resistant infection is a warning that humanity’s safety net is fraying.
The crisis may be silent, but its consequences are loud and devastating. Only through collaboration can governments, scientists, industries, and ordinary citizens reclaim control over this invisible enemy before it renders the age of antibiotics a relic of the past.