WHO 2025 Report Warns of Escalating Global Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025, highlighting a rapidly growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threat. Analysing over 23 million infections across 104 countries, the report warns that if urgent action is not taken, AMR-related deaths could rise by 70% by 2050.
Key findings reveal that Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter spp., pose the greatest risk, with resistance rates exceeding 70% in some regions of Africa. Globally, one in six bacterial infections is resistant to at least one antibiotic, while urinary tract infections show the highest resistance prevalence. Alarmingly, resistance to Watch and Reserve antibiotics is rising, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, limiting treatment options for severe infections.
The report emphasises regional disparities, noting the highest AMR burden in South-East Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa, while Europe exhibits the lowest prevalence. It also highlights a strong correlation between AMR and gaps in health infrastructure and access to care.
WHO calls for urgent measures, including strengthening surveillance, enhancing laboratory capacity, implementing antimicrobial stewardship, curbing misuse, and accelerating new antibiotic research. A One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health, is essential to combat the crisis.
The 2025 report reinforces that AMR is a current global health emergency, threatening to make routine infections untreatable and reversing decades of medical progress. International cooperation, responsible antibiotic use, and rapid policy action are critical to safeguarding global health.
