• Posted October 15, 2025

Antibiotic Resistance Rising Fast, WHO Warns

Dangerous infections that no longer respond to antibiotics are spreading quickly around the world, increasing by as much as 15% a year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report found that 1 in 6 infections worldwide in 2023 was resistant to common antibiotics, including drugs used to treat urinary tract infections, gonorrhea and E. coli. 

These antibiotic-resistant infections, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), kill more than 1 million people a year and contribute to the deaths of nearly 5 million others.

“Antibiotic resistance is widespread and threatening the future of modern medicine,” Dr. Yvan Hutin, director of WHO’s Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, told The New York Times. “Simply put, the less people have access to quality care, the more they’re likely to suffer from drug-resistant infection.”

The problem is especially severe in Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, where 1 in 3 infections are now resistant to antibiotics — roughly double the global average and more than three times higher than rates in Europe or the Western Pacific.

Resistance was also higher in low- and middle-income countries, where weaker health systems make it harder to track, prevent and treat infections.

The report also highlighted growing resistance in so-called "gram-negative bacteria" like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause serious infections. Gram-negative bacteria are especially challenging because they have a protective cover that can be tough for antibiotics to penetrate.

In parts of Africa, resistance to cephalosporins — a class of antibiotics — exceeds 70%, often ruling out first-choice treatment.

Without action, experts warn that AMR could cause a $1.7 trillion drop in global economic output by 2050, driven by increased health care costs and lost productivity.

A recent study in The Lancet estimated that 39 million people could die from drug-resistant infections over the next 25 years.

There is some hope, however. Since WHO launched its antimicrobial resistance surveillance system in 2015, nearly 140 countries have joined, and 100 of them contributed data to the latest report — a fourfold increase from previous years.

Silvia Bertagnolio, who leads WHO’s AMR surveillance programs, said she was encouraged by the growing global awareness about drug-resistant infections and by the increasing number of countries sharing data.

But, she added, nearly half of all countries still didn’t submit data last year, and many of those that did lack the tools to track resistance accurately.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on antimicrobial resistance.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Oct. 13, 2025