WHO warns of rising antimicrobial resistance in fungal infections
Antimicrobial resistance spreads because bacteria and fungi evolve to survive medicines, and misuse helps them adapt faster.
Fungal infections linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are emerging as a major global health concern, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
The WHO warns that without stronger controls, infections once easily treatable could become life-threatening, with misuse and overuse of antibiotics driving the crisis.
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Misuse includes taking antibiotics without prescriptions, stopping treatment too early, using the wrong medicine, or overusing antibiotics in livestock. These practices allow some germs to survive, multiply, and spread, creating resistant strains that are harder to treat.
While many take antibiotics for illnesses like colds or flu, rely on leftovers, or share medicines, others turn to chemists instead of clinics due to cost or distance. Social and cultural factors also play a role, with antibiotics seen as “strong medicines” and self-medication considered normal. These patterns fuel resistance.
Globally, resistance is rising at alarming rates. WHO data shows that 42 per cent of E. coli and 35 per cent of Staphylococcus aureus cases are resistant to key antibiotics.
Urinary tract infections are increasingly difficult to treat, with one in five E. coli cases no longer responding well. Klebsiella pneumoniae is also becoming resistant, forcing doctors to use “last-resort” drugs such as carbapenems, which themselves face growing resistance that could double by 2035.
Tuberculosis remains heavily impacted, with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains complicating therapy and increasing mortality risks. Vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, such as those living with HIV, are most at risk.
HIV can become resistant to antiretroviral drugs if treatment is not followed correctly, while resistant malaria strains complicate control efforts. WHO urges stronger monitoring, careful drug use, and improved treatment strategies worldwide.
Resistance spreads because microbes adapt. When antibiotics or antifungals are misused, sensitive microbes die, but resistant ones survive and multiply. Bacteria spread resistance faster by sharing genes across species, while fungi pass resistance to offspring. Fungi such as Candida auris can survive on surfaces for long periods and spread easily in healthcare settings.
Environmental contamination, global travel and limited treatment options worsen the problem. Waste from hospitals, farms and pharmaceutical factories pollutes water and soil with antimicrobial residues, creating ideal conditions for resistant microbes. Misuse of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock further contributes, allowing resistant bacteria to enter the food chain.
Drug shortages also compound the crisis. Hospitals often face stockouts of essential antibiotics, leaving few options when resistant infections occur. This prolongs hospital stays, raises costs and burdens healthcare workers. Patients may be forced to buy medicines at higher prices from private pharmacies or go without treatment.
Economically, AMR reduces productivity as sick individuals cannot work, while families spend more on healthcare instead of essentials.
Resistant infections spread quickly in crowded urban areas, informal settlements and regions lacking clean water and sanitation. Global trade and travel accelerate the spread, making resistant infections a global problem.
WHO stresses that addressing AMR requires urgent action, improving access to healthcare, enforcing regulations on antibiotic sales, promoting responsible drug use, investing in infection prevention and raising public awareness.
In Kenya, AMR caused about 8,500 deaths directly in 2019 and was associated with more than 37,000 deaths when resistance played a role. Globally, AMR was responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and linked to nearly 5 million, making it one of the world’s leading health threats.
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