Antibiotic resistance poses a global health risk

The latest report from the World Health Organization highlights the serious problem of increasing antibiotic resistance. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

It was emphasized that antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective against bacteria, mainly due to their incorrect and excessive use. According to the report, worldwide resistance of infections to drugs is increasing annually by an average of 5 to 15 percent.

This poses a significant threat to the healthcare system. For example, more than 40 percent of Escherichia coli bacteria and over 55 percent of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains do not respond to antibiotics used to treat urinary tract, digestive system, and blood infections.

Some infections have become so resistant that existing drugs are ineffective in treating them. In particular, millions of people die each year due to Salmonella, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli.

According to WHO representative Silvia Bertaniolo, nearly 8 million people died in 2021 due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This is a serious medical problem for humanity.

The report stressed the need to accelerate scientific research to develop new-generation antibiotics. At the same time, it highlighted the importance of limiting the excessive and unjustified use of existing antibiotics.

Experts warn that improper use of antibiotics strengthens bacterial resistance and may make it difficult to treat even common diseases in the future. Therefore, the WHO calls on all countries to strengthen medical supervision and use antibiotics only when necessary (source: who.int).