In a recent development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of widespread resistance to commonly used antibiotics, calling it a growing threat to global public health. According to a new WHO report published towards the end of 2025, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 showed resistance to antibiotic treatment.
The findings are based on the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance (GLASS) Report 2025, which analysed data reported by more than 100 countries. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40 percent of the pathogen–antibiotic combinations monitored, with an average annual rise ranging between 5 and 15 percent.
The data available consists of over 23 million confirmed cases of bacteriological infections of the blood, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital infections due to gonorrhoea. In 2023, data had been submitted by 104 countries, while 110 countries provided data for the years 2016-2023.
The WHO has indicated that “antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is compromising the prevention and treatment of infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.” This trend is making even simple medical procedures a high-risk problem.
The report shows that antibiotic resistance is highest in the WHO South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where one in three reported infections was resistant. In the African region, one in five infections showed resistance. Resistance levels were found to be higher and worsening in countries where health systems lack the capacity to diagnose and treat bacterial infections effectively.
WHO also noted that low- and middle-income countries, particularly those with weak health systems, are disproportionately affected by antimicrobial resistance.
Among drug-resistant pathogens, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified as the most common Gram-negative bacteria causing resistant bloodstream infections. The report warned that several critical antibiotics, including carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, are losing effectiveness against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella, and Acinetobacter species.
In the African region, K. pneumoniae resistant to third-generation cephalosporins was the most frequently reported drug-resistant bloodstream infection. Meanwhile, meropenem- and imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter species were among the ten most commonly reported drug-resistant pathogens in the South-East Asia region.
To combat this emerging risk, WHO encouraged member countries to improve their surveillance systems to submit high-quality data on antimicrobial resistance and use to GLASS by the year 2030. According to the report, it is necessary to invest in the necessary digital infrastructure to ensure the integrity of the data management process.
The report explained that improving lab systems, especially in the underserved areas, is paramount treatment and health policies.
In a related development in December, 2025, WHO and the Health Emergency Preparedness Authority of the European Commission signed an agreement worth 3.5 million euros under the EU4HEALTH initiative to further strengthen cooperation on combatting antimicrobial resistance.
Commenting on the findings, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said antimicrobial resistance is “outpacing advances in modern medicine” and threatening the health of families worldwide. He stressed the need for responsible antibiotic use and equitable access to quality-assured medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines as countries work to strengthen AMR surveillance systems.
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