WHO Warns One in Six Infections Now Resistant to Antibiotics Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded an urgent alarm on the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), revealing that one in six bacterial infections confirmed in laboratories worldwide in 2023 was resistant to antibiotic treatment. The findings, published in the new Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025, indicate that resistance levels are increasing rapidly, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to diagnosis and effective treatment remains limited.

Between 2018 and 2023, resistance rose in over 40% of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations tracked by WHO, with annual increases of 5–15% on average — a pace that threatens to outstrip advances in modern medicine. The report draws on data from over 100 countries participating in the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS), which tracks patterns of resistance and antibiotic usage across the world.

A Worsening Global Health Crisis

“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” warned 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 diagnostics, and vaccines. Our future depends on strengthening systems to prevent, diagnose and treat infections — and on innovating with next-generation antibiotics and rapid molecular tests.”

The WHO report confirms that antibiotic resistance — long recognized as a “silent pandemic” — has reached critical levels across all regions. Infections once easily curable are increasingly untreatable, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality.

According to WHO estimates, the South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions are the hardest hit, with one in three infections showing resistance to available antibiotics. In the African Region, one in five infections is now resistant — a statistic worsened by inadequate diagnostic capacity, limited access to second-line antibiotics, and weak infection prevention systems.

Tracking Eight Major Pathogens Across 22 Antibiotics

The 2025 report provides the most comprehensive resistance estimates to date, covering 22 essential antibiotics used to treat infections of the urinary tract, gastrointestinal system, bloodstream, and sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea.

Eight key bacterial pathogens were analyzed:

• Escherichia coli (E. coli)

• Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae)

• Acinetobacter species

• Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• Non-typhoidal Salmonella species

• Shigella species

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Streptococcus pneumoniae

These bacteria are responsible for millions of deaths each year and are central to WHO’s list of priority pathogens — bacteria that urgently require new treatments due to widespread resistance.

Gram-Negative Bacteria: The Rising Menace

The report highlights that Gram-negative bacterial pathogens — particularly E. coli and K. pneumoniae — now represent the greatest global threat. These bacteria, commonly associated with bloodstream and urinary tract infections, are increasingly resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-choice treatment for many severe infections.

Globally, more than 40% of E. coli and 55% of K. pneumoniae infections are resistant to these antibiotics, with rates exceeding 70% in parts of Africa. Resistance to carbapenems — considered the “last line of defense” — is also rising sharply, reducing treatment options even further.

“Carbapenem resistance was once rare; now it is becoming disturbingly frequent,” said Dr. Haileyesus Getahun, WHO Director of the Global Coordination on AMR. “We are entering a phase where even our strongest antibiotics are losing their power, especially in countries where health systems cannot easily adapt or afford alternatives.”

The report also warns that fluoroquinolone resistance is spreading among Salmonella, Acinetobacter, and Shigella species, threatening the effectiveness of common treatments for gastrointestinal infections.

Global Surveillance Expands — But Data Gaps Persist

On a positive note, participation in the GLASS surveillance system has grown rapidly — from 25 countries in 2016 to 104 by 2023, signaling a major step forward in global coordination against AMR. However, the WHO warns that nearly half of all Member States still lack the infrastructure or laboratory capacity to produce reliable resistance data.

“While surveillance has expanded, the weakest systems are in the places that need them most,” the report notes. “Countries facing the largest burdens of resistant infections often lack the resources to detect, record, and respond.”

The WHO’s GLASS platform collects and harmonizes data from laboratories around the world, offering a real-time picture of resistance patterns and antibiotic use. The newly expanded GLASS digital dashboard now provides country-level summaries, regional overviews, and interactive analytics to support health policy and clinical decision-making.

Policy Commitments and the “One Health” Approach

The findings come just months after world leaders adopted a political declaration on antimicrobial resistance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2024, setting measurable targets to curb AMR. The declaration calls for integrating a One Health approach, which links human, animal, and environmental health systems to address antibiotic misuse across all sectors.

The WHO report emphasizes that tackling AMR will require more than surveillance — it demands political commitment, research investment, and equitable access to healthcare tools. Countries are urged to:

• Strengthen laboratory networks and data collection systems, particularly in underserved regions.

• Improve antibiotic stewardship to reduce misuse in both humans and livestock.

• Invest in new antimicrobials, vaccines, and rapid diagnostic technologies.

• Ensure equitable access to effective, quality-assured medicines and vaccines.

• Report high-quality AMR and antibiotic use data to GLASS by 2030 to improve global visibility and coordination.

The Cost of Inaction

Without urgent action, experts warn, antimicrobial resistance could become the leading cause of death globally within decades. A 2019 analysis estimated that 4.95 million deaths were associated with drug-resistant infections in that year alone — a number expected to rise sharply if current trends continue.

The WHO calls antibiotic resistance “a slow-moving pandemic”, one that undermines decades of medical progress and threatens to make routine surgeries, childbirth, and common infections deadly once again.

Building a Future Without Resistance

The launch of the Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 marks an important milestone in the global effort to combat AMR. WHO and its partners are calling on governments, scientists, and citizens alike to recognize that the fight against antibiotic resistance is everyone’s responsibility.

Dr. Tedros concluded:

“We can still change course — but we must act decisively. We need stronger health systems, smarter antibiotic use, and faster innovation. If we fail to protect the medicines we rely on today, we risk losing the foundation of modern medicine itself.”