Global Antibiotic Resistance: WHO warns that 1 in 6 bacterial infections worldwide were resistant to antibiotics in 2023, urging urgent global action to curb antimicrobial resistance.
New Delhi | October 14, 2025 | The Interview Times —Antibiotic Resistance is escalating at an unprecedented rate, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 were resistant to common antibiotics.
The WHO’s new Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 highlights a worrying trend: between 2018 and 2023, resistance rose in over 40% of pathogen-antibiotic combinations monitored, with an average annual increase of 5–15%.
Data from more than 100 countries submitted to the WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) show that rising resistance to essential antibiotics poses a growing threat to global health. The report provides the first-ever prevalence estimates for 22 antibiotics used to treat infections of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the bloodstream, and gonorrhoea. Eight common bacterial pathogens are covered: Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Antibiotic Resistance Hits Hardest in South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean
WHO estimates that resistance is highest in the South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where one in three infections reported were resistant. In Africa, resistance was observed in one in five infections. The burden is heaviest in areas where healthcare systems struggle to diagnose and treat bacterial pathogens effectively.
“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He urged countries to use antibiotics responsibly, expand access to quality diagnostics, vaccines, and essential medicines, and innovate with next-generation antibiotics and rapid point-of-care tests.
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Global Antibiotic Resistance: Gram-Negative Bacteria Pose the Greatest Threat
Drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are emerging as the most dangerous global threat. E. coli and K. pneumoniae lead the list in bloodstream infections, which can result in sepsis, organ failure, and death. Over 40% of E. coli and 55% of K. pneumoniae are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-line treatment for these infections. In Africa, resistance levels exceed 70%.
Resistance is also rising against carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, narrowing treatment options and forcing reliance on last-resort antibiotics, which are expensive and often unavailable in low- and middle-income countries.
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Global Antibiotic Resistance: Progress in Surveillance, But Urgent Action Needed
Participation in GLASS has grown more than four-fold, from 25 countries in 2016 to 104 countries in 2023. Despite this progress, 48% of countries did not report data in 2023, and roughly half of reporting countries lack the capacity to generate reliable surveillance data. Countries with the highest AMR burden are often least able to assess their situation.
The 2024 UN General Assembly political declaration on AMR emphasizes a coordinated “One Health” approach—linking human health, animal health, and the environment—to combat antimicrobial resistance. WHO calls on all countries to submit high-quality AMR and antimicrobial use data to GLASS by 2030 to inform treatment policies and interventions effectively.
The WHO report is accompanied by expanded digital content in the GLASS dashboard, offering global and regional summaries, country profiles, and detailed information on antimicrobial use.
The WHO’s warning is clear: without urgent global action to strengthen surveillance, optimize antibiotic use, and innovate new treatments, antimicrobial resistance will continue to outpace our ability to treat life-threatening infections.
Key Takeaways: Global Antibiotic Resistance 2025
- 1 in 6 infections worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotics.
- Highest resistance in South-East Asia & Eastern Mediterranean (1 in 3 infections) and Africa (1 in 5).
- Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, K. pneumoniae) are the most dangerous; resistance to first-line antibiotics is rising sharply.
- Life-saving drugs like carbapenems and fluoroquinolones are losing effectiveness.
- Surveillance progress: 104 countries report to WHO’s GLASS, but 48% still don’t provide reliable data.
- Call to action: Strengthen health systems, use antibiotics responsibly, expand diagnostics and vaccines, and innovate new treatments.