The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has increased significantly worldwide. This is evident from a new one report of the World Health Organization (WHO), which was published on Monday. Nearly five million people die every year from infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Due to antibiotic resistance, patients around the world are increasingly unable to be properly treated for life-threatening infections. In 2023, one in six common bacterial infections no longer responded to antibiotic treatment. Over the past five years, this resistance has grown by 5 to 15 percent per year.
The WHO based its conclusions on laboratory data from more than a hundred countries. Antibiotic resistance arises when pathogens adapt to the drugs that are intended to kill them. That risk increases if antibiotics are used incorrectly — for example, when patients take an antibiotic too often or for too long, or do not complete the course. That is why doctors are reluctant to prescribe it.
Excessive use
While rich countries try to limit the overuse of antibiotics to prevent resistance, many people in poorer countries die because they do not have access to the right medicines.
In 2021, 7.7 million people worldwide died from bacterial infections. Of those deaths, nearly 4.7 million were linked to drug resistance.
The Netherlands has the lowest antibiotic use of all European countries and is among the countries with the smallest number of deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To prevent a further increase, the Ministries of Medical Care and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality presented a joint action plan last year to reduce resistance.
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Difference between rich and poor maintains resistance to antibiotics
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