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A significant study, unveiled today at ESCMID Global 2025, indicates that over 3 million children globally died in 2022 from infections linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

VIENNA, April 12, 2025 — The research highlights the pressing need for both regional and worldwide strategies to manage paediatric AMR, especially in areas with high prevalence like South-East Asia and Africa. AMR is a major threat to children, who are especially susceptible to infections. Children often have less access to new antibiotic formulations due to delays in product development.

The study’s data showed that in 2022, more than 752,000 children in Southeast Asia and 659,000 children in Africa died because of AMR-related complications. Many of these deaths were connected to the use of Watch antibiotics (medicines with a high potential for resistance) and Reserve antibiotics (treatments of last resort for serious, multidrug-resistant infections).

Watch and Reserve antibiotics are not meant to be used as first-line treatments and should only be used when necessary to maintain their effectiveness and limit the development of resistance.

Between 2019 and 2021, the use of Watch antibiotics increased by 160% in Southeast Asia and 126% in Africa. During the same period, the use of Reserve antibiotics increased by 45% in Southeast Asia and 125% in Africa.

Of the more than 3 million children’s deaths worldwide, 2 million were linked to the use of Watch and Reserve antibiotics.

“While the increased use of Watch and Reserve antibiotics might be necessary due to the rising number of drug-resistant infections, this sharp increase poses significant long-term risks,” commented Professor Joseph Harwell, a co-author of the study. “Their greater use, particularly without careful monitoring, increases the risk of resistance and reduces future treatment options. If bacteria become resistant to these antibiotics, there will be few, if any, other options for treating multidrug-resistant infections.”

Several factors worsen AMR in low- and middle-income countries, including overcrowded hospitals, inadequate sanitation, and weak infection prevention measures, which help resistant pathogens spread in healthcare facilities and communities.

Professor Harwell added, “Mortality rates, which are already worryingly high, will continue to rise significantly, especially in low- and middle-income countries where there may be limited access to alternative treatments and advanced medical interventions. Addressing this problem requires immediate and coordinated action at both regional and global levels.”

SOURCE ESCMID Global

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