Antibiotic resistance is not a localized issue, it's a global health crisis. Resistant pathogens can spread through travel, trade, food, and water systems. Low- and middle-income countries often face the worst outcomes due to:
Over-the-counter antibiotic availability,
Lack of regulatory oversight,
Poor sanitation and healthcare infrastructure.
Antibiotics used in livestock and agriculture also contribute to environmental contamination and resistance reservoirs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2022. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/2022-ar-threats-report.pdf-
Davies, J., & Davies, D. (2010). Origins and evolution of antibiotic resistance. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 74(3), 417–433.
https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.00016-10 -
World Health Organization. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance -
Laxminarayan, R., Matsoso, P., Pant, S., Brower, C., Røttingen, J. A., Klugman, K., & Davies, S. (2016). Access to effective antimicrobials: A worldwide challenge. The Lancet, 387(10014), 168–175.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00474-2 -
Ventola, C. L. (2015). The antibiotic resistance crisis: Part 1: Causes and threats. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 40(4), 277–283.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378521/