WHO flags a silent crisis: Are we running out of antibiotics that work?

The WHO's latest data show bacteria are evolving rapidly, outsmarting modern drugs, with South Asia and West Asia among the worst-hit regions as antibiotic resistance soars

One in six bacterial infections worldwide is now resistant to antibiotic treatment and cannot be treated using standard medicines, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in its latest Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025.

 

According to the WHO, between 2016 and 2023, resistance to life-saving drugs increased in over 40 per cent of the samples analysed across more than 100 countries, signalling a dangerous rise of “superbugs” that could make once-curable infections deadly again. The finding raises a troubling question: Are we fast approaching a post-antibiotic era where common infections no longer respond to medicine?

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic drugs are used to neutralise and treat bacterial infections. But bacteria adapt and evolve new tricks to survive these drugs. This phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), turns once-curable infections into stubborn, sometimes deadly diseases.

 

Globally, AMR is already responsible for over one million deaths every year, according to WHO. The global health body has warned that “antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine,” threatening everything from routine surgeries to cancer care. Without effective antibiotics, even a minor cut could spiral into a life-threatening infection.

How bad is the situation right now?

According to the report, antibiotic resistance levels are highest in South Asia and West Asia, where one in three infections no longer responds to standard treatments. In Africa, resistance to key antibiotics used for bloodstream infections exceeds 70 per cent.

 

Globally, Escherichia coli (E coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two common culprits behind hospital infections, are becoming resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the go-to antibiotics for severe cases. More than 40 per cent of E coli and 55 per cent of Klebsiella pneumoniae are now resistant. These are infections that can lead to sepsis, organ failure, and death.

 

The report further stated that even the last lines of defence, like carbapenems, often called “reserve antibiotics,” are losing their edge. Resistance is rising fastest among Gram-negative bacteria, the toughest of the microbial lot.

Why is antibiotic resistance rising so fast?

The report highlighted that it is not nature alone that is to blame, humans are fuelling this crisis. From popping antibiotics for viral fevers (where they do nothing) to farmers using them to make livestock grow faster, overuse and misuse are driving resistance across human, animal, and environmental ecosystems.

 

This is what the WHO calls the ‘One Health’ crisis, linking hospitals, farms, and food systems. According to the WHO, the more we misuse antibiotics, the cleverer bacteria become. In places with poor sanitation, lack of diagnostics, and limited access to quality healthcare, resistant bacteria thrive and spread unchecked.

Which infections are most at risk of becoming untreatable?

Urinary and gastrointestinal tract infections top the list, as nearly one in three now resists treatment. Bloodstream infections follow closely behind. Gonorrhoea, a once easily treatable sexually transmitted infection, is also making a dangerous comeback, 75 per cent of gonorrhoea samples are resistant to ciprofloxacin, a common antibiotic.

 

While some life-saving antibiotics like ceftriaxone still work, even the smallest rise in resistance could collapse our ability to treat these infections.

What makes this threat worse in countries like India?

India sits in one of the epicentres of antibiotic resistance, the WHO report shows. South-East Asia records some of the highest resistance levels in the world. Countries with weaker health systems, limited diagnostic labs, patchy surveillance, and easy antibiotic access without prescription face a double burden.

 

The WHO found that countries with lower health coverage had higher resistance rates.

 

WHO, however, indicated that there is a chance to reverse this trend as global surveillance is improving. Over 100 countries now report antibiotic resistance data through WHO’s GLASS platform, which has seen a four-fold rise since 2016. This helps scientists and policymakers track which antibiotics are losing power and where.

 

Yet, nearly half the world still lacks reliable surveillance data, meaning we might be underestimating the real scale of resistance.

Can we still prevent this 'post-antibiotic' future?

Yes, and for this, WHO is urging countries to:

• Use antibiotics only when prescribed by qualified professionals
• Invest in diagnostic labs to ensure the right antibiotic is used for the right infection
• Strengthen infection control, vaccination, and sanitation systems
• Ensure at least 70 per cent of antibiotic use globally comes from the WHO’s AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve)Access group by 2030

As WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus puts it, “We must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics, and vaccines.”