Antibiotic resistance creating global health threat for children

Editor's Note

Widespread antibiotic resistance globally has meant that drugs used to treat common infections in children and babies are no longer effective, according to a new study published on October 31 by Science Direct.

The study found that a number of antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) had less than 50% effectiveness in treating childhood infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. In the most affected regions in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, thousands of children die each year due to antibiotic resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance has been named one of the top 10 global public health threats by the WHO. Each year, 3 million newborns contact sepsis globally, which leads to 570,000 deaths annually due to lack of effective antibiotics.

The findings show that there is an urgent need for health organizations to update global antibiotic guidelines.