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ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

Rise in global antibiotic use

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 20, page 63 (2022)Cite this article

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High and inappropriate use of antibiotics is linked to rising levels of antimicrobial resistance; however, data on antibiotic consumption are incomplete, in particular for low- and middle-income countries. In a new modelling study, Browne et al. used household survey data, antibiotic consumption data from existing databases, and sociodemographic and health data to estimate the levels of antibiotic consumption between 2000 and 2018 in 204 countries. Worryingly, the overall daily doses of antibiotics consumed rose by 46% in that time, with the highest rates in eastern Europe and central Asia, which is an indicator for excessive antibiotic consumption in these regions. By contrast, sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest levels of antibiotic consumption, which suggests inadequate access to antibiotic treatment for bacterial infections in this region. The authors conclude that their findings underscore the importance of antibiotic stewardship and equitable access to antibiotics.

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  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/

    Ursula Hofer

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  1. Ursula Hofer
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Correspondence to Ursula Hofer.

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Hofer, U. Rise in global antibiotic use. Nat Rev Microbiol 20, 63 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00668-8

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