E-DRUG: Record number of countries contribute antimicrobial resistance data
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Record number of countries contribute data revealing disturbing rates of
antimicrobial resistance
1 June 2020
News release
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-06-2020-record-number-of-countries-contribute-data-revealing-disturbing-rates-of-antimicrobial-resistance
Geneva: A record number of countries are now monitoring and reporting on
antibiotic resistance - marking a major step forward in the global fight
against drug resistance. But the data they provide reveals that a worrying
number of bacterial infections are increasingly resistant to the medicines
at hand to treat them.
'As we gather more evidence, we see more clearly and more worryingly how
fast we are losing critically important antimicrobial medicines all over
the world,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the
World Health Organization (WHO). 'These data underscore the importance both
of protecting the antimicrobials we have and developing new ones, to
effectively treat infections, preserve health gains made in the last
century and ensure a secure future.'
Since the WHO's Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System
(GLASS) report in 2018, participation has grown exponentially. In only three years of existence, the system now aggregates data from more than 64 000 surveillance sites with more than 2 million patients enrolled from 66 countries across the world. In 2018 the number of surveillance sites was 729 across 22 countries.
<https://www.who.int/glass/resources/publications/early-implementation-report-2017-2018/en/>
More countries are also reporting on the recently approved indicator
on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of the Sustainable Development
Goal monitoring. 'The enormous expansion of countries, facilities and
patients covered by the new AMR surveillance system allows us to better
document the emerging public health threat of AMR,' said Hanan Balkhy,
Assistant Director-General for antimicrobial resistance at WHO.
High rates of resistance among antimicrobials frequently used to treat
common infections, such as urinary tract infections or some forms of
diarrhoea, indicate that the world is running out of effective ways to
tackle these diseases. For instance, the rate of resistance to
ciprofloxacin, an antimicrobial frequently used to treat urinary tract
infections, varied from 8.4% to 92.9% in 33 reporting countries.
WHO is concerned that the trend will further be fueled by the inappropriate
use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence shows that only a
small proportion of COVID-19 patients need antibiotics to treat subsequent
bacterial infections and the Organization has issued guidance not to provide antibiotic therapy or prophylaxis to patients with mild COVID-19 or to patients with suspected or confirmed moderate COVID-19 illness unless there is a clinical indication to do so.
<https://www.who.int/publications-detail/clinical-management-of-covid-19>
Dr Balkhy, said: 'We believe this clear guidance on the use of antibiotics
in the COVID-19 pandemic will both help countries tackle COVID-19 effectively and prevent the emergence and transmission of Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR) in the context of the pandemic.'
WHO remains concerned by declining investment (including in the private
sector) and lack of innovation in the development of new antimicrobial
treatments - factors that are undermining efforts to combat drug-resistant
infections. 'We must bolster global cooperation and partnerships including between the public and private sectors to provide financial and non financial incentives for the development of new and innovative antimicrobials,' added Balkhy.
To support this effort, WHO has released two documents on target product
profiles to guide development of new treatments for common resistant bacterial infections and an economic model that simulates the costs, risks, and possible return on investment of antibacterial drug development.
<https://www.who.int/publications-detail/target-product-profiles-for-needed-antibacterial-agents-enteric-fever-gonorrhea-neonatal-sepsis-urinary-tract-infections-and-meeting-report>
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Media Contacts
Margaret Harris
Mobile: +41 792906688
Email:harrism@who.int
Related Resources
Antimicrobial resistance
<https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance>
Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS)
<https://www.who.int/glass/en/>
Target product profiles for needed antibacterial agents: enteric fever,
gonorrhea, neonatal sepsis, urinary tract infections and meeting report
<https://www.who.int/publications-detail/target-product-profiles-for-needed-antibacterial-agents-enteric-fever-gonorrhea-neonatal-sepsis-urinary-tract-infections-and-meeting-report>
A financial model for an impact investment fund for the development of
antibacterial treatments and diagnostics: A user guide
<https://www.who.int/publications-detail/a-financial-model-for-an-impact-investment-fund-for-the-development-of-antibacterial-treatments-and-diagnostics-a-user-guide>
Bruneton Carinne <carinne.bruneton@gmail.com>
E-med@healthnet.org