Antimicrobial resistance ‘outpacing advances in modern medicine’

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has risen in more than 40% of monitored antibiotics, leading global leaders to issue a dire health warning.
 
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 also revealed that from 2018–23, there has been an average annual AMR increase of up to 15%.
 
Using data reported to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) from more than 100 countries, it shows one in six common bacterial infections in 2023 was resistant to antibiotic treatments.
 
‘Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,’ said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
 
‘As countries strengthen their AMR surveillance systems, we must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics, and vaccines.
 
‘Our future also depends on strengthening systems to prevent, diagnose and treat infections and on innovating with next-generation antibiotics and rapid point-of-care molecular tests.’
 
The report found drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are becoming more dangerous worldwide, with more than 40% of E. coli and 55% of K. pneumoniae globally now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-choice treatment for these infections.
 
Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake, a specialist in infectious diseases at the Australian National University, described AMR as ‘not just an issue of doctors prescribing antibiotics inappropriately’.
 
‘Instead, it also includes the vast spectrum of antimicrobial use not just in humans, but also in animals and plants, the use of unprescribed over-the-counter antibiotics, the contamination of waterways with antibiotics, and the development of new antibiotics,’ he said.
 
The report estimates AMR is highest in the WHO’s South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where one-third of reported infections are resistant.
 
It found that in the African region, 20% of infections are resistant, and AMR is more common and worsening in places where health systems lack capacity to diagnose or treat bacterial pathogens.
 
However, 48% of countries did not report data to GLASS in 2023, with countries facing the largest challenges lacking the surveillance capacity to assess their AMR situation.
 
Associate Professor Rietie Venter, Head of Microbiology at the University of South Australia, said the data ‘raises serious concerns’.
 
She said the findings ‘underscore the critical importance of diagnostic tools to inform antibiotic prescription, antimicrobial stewardship, and comprehensive surveillance systems’.
 
‘To effectively implement these measures, strategies that strengthen health systems and promote equitable access to antibiotics are essential,’ Associate Professor Venter said.
 
‘Although not explicitly addressed in the report, supporting research and development of new antibiotics or alternative antimicrobial therapies is also vital in combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.’
 
The WHO is now calling for countries to commit to strengthening laboratory systems and generating reliable surveillance data to inform treatments and policies.
 
It says achieving this target will require ‘concerted action’ to strengthen the quality, geographic coverage, and sharing of AMR data.
 
However, Swinburne University of Technology’s Dr Andreea Molnar said without effective antibiotics, ‘even routine surgeries could become dangerously risky to perform’.
 
‘Given that we live in an interconnected world, a coordinated and a multifaceted approach, global effort, tailored to local contexts, is essential to effectively reduce antimicrobial resistance,’ she said.
 
‘On a somewhat positive note, the report highlights improvements in surveillance and monitoring, which can help provide a more accurate picture of the situation and support evidence-based decision-making in tackling the issue.’
 
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