WHO warns alarming increase in antibiotic resistance

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The antibiotic resistance to a number of severe bacterial infections is growing at an alarming rate, a World Health Organization (WHO) study released on Monday warned.

The first Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) report based on a survey of 22 member countries reveals the widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance among 500,000 people with suspected bacterial infections.

The data suggests most commonly reported resistant bacteria include e-coli bacterial infection, staph infections, pneumonia, and salmonella.

Among patients with suspected bloodstream infection, the proportion that had bacteria resistant to at least one of the most commonly used antibiotics ranged tremendously between different countries – from zero to 82 percent, report said.

Researchers found resistance to penicillin – the medicine commonly used for treatment pneumonia – ranged from zero to 51 percent among reporting countries.

The resistance went up in the range of 8 percent to 65 percent in case of E-Coli associated with urinary tract infections. The E-Coli resistance is related to Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat the disease.

Around 22 countries participated in WHO's Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS). /WHO Photo

“The report confirms the serious situation of antibiotic resistance worldwide,” said Marc Sprenger, director of WHO’s Antimicrobial Resistance Secretariat.

“Some of the world’s most common – and potentially most dangerous – infections are proving drug-resistant,” added Sprenger.

“And most worrying of all, pathogens don’t respect national borders. That’s why WHO is encouraging all countries to set up good surveillance systems for detecting drug resistance that can provide data to this global system.”

Around 52 countries including 25 high-income, 20 middle-income, and seven low-income nations have enrolled for the antibiotic resistance surveillance.

The first GlASS report survey is based on the data provided by 40 countries about their national surveillance initiatives. And 22 countries included data on levels of antibiotic resistance.

In the recent years, the antibiotic resistance surveillance is slowly becoming a significant part of the healthcare system in a few countries.

Kenya has enhanced the development of its national antimicrobial resistance system; Tunisia is aggregating data on antimicrobial resistance.

The Republic of Korea has overhauled its national surveillance system to align with the GLASS methodology to provide quality data.

Low-income countries like Afghanistan and Cambodia that face major healthcare infrastructure challenge are also gleaning data of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The WHO launched AMR surveillance in 2015, and have already implemented Tuberculosis drug resistance surveillance in 188 countries. Around 50 countries are reporting HIV drug resistance surveillance that was started in 2005.

Dr. Carmem Pessoa-Silva, coordinator of the surveillance system at WHO pointed out that the report is a vital first step towards improving our understanding of the extent of antimicrobial resistance.

“Surveillance is in its infancy, but it is vital to develop it if we are to anticipate and tackle one of the biggest threats to global public health,” he said.