Antibiotic resistance surge threatens millions of children worldwide
In 2022, over 3 million children died due to antibiotic-resistant infections, mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia.
In 2022, over 3 million children worldwide died due to antibiotic-resistant infections. Most of these cases were recorded in Africa and Southeast Asia. The problem is escalating, with bacteria increasingly becoming resistant to the most commonly used drugs.
According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest challenges of modern medicine. It is particularly difficult to treat tuberculosis, pneumonia, and skin infections that do not respond to standard therapies. A report prepared by Prof. Herb Harwell and Dr. Yanhong Jessika Hu indicates a dramatic increase in resistance from 1999 to 2021.
In Africa, resistance increased by 126%, and in Southeast Asia by 160%. Even more concerning is the increase in resistance to so-called last-resort antibiotics, which are used when other drugs fail. In Southeast Asia, resistance to these drugs increased by 45%, and in Africa by as much as 125%.
Covid-19 pandemic and antibiotics
The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the intensification of the antibiotic resistance problem. Although viruses do not respond to antibiotics, they were often used to protect patients from secondary bacterial infections. Medical professionals note that many patients themselves pressure doctors to prescribe antibiotics.
Prof. Harwell notes that many patients demand that doctors prescribe antibiotics, but it is essential first to ensure that they are indeed necessary
Dr. Lindsey Edwards from King’s College London warns that if we do not halt the increasing resistance, we will squander progress in treating children, especially in regions with lower income and poorer healthcare. The full report will be presented at the end of April in Vienna during the congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
