Over 3 Million Children Died from AMR-related Infections in 2022
In a groundbreaking study unveiled at ESCMID Global 2025, it was reported that over three million children worldwide succumbed to infections related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2022. This alarming statistic sheds light on a pressing global health crisis that disproportionately affects the youngest and most vulnerable population.
The global rise of AMR poses a severe threat, particularly in regions with high infection rates such as Southeast Asia and Africa. The study emphasizes the critical need for effective regional and global strategies to combat pediatric AMR. Data from the research indicates that in Southeast Asia alone, approximately 752,000 children lost their lives due to AMR-related complications. Similarly, the African continent faced a staggering loss of roughly 659,000 children.
The findings reveal a concerning pattern; many of these fatalities are linked to the inappropriate use of sentinel antibiotics, which bear a high risk of developing resistance, as well as reserve antibiotics, which are reserved for the treatment of severe infections when no alternatives exist. Such antibiotics should only be used judiciously to maintain their effectiveness and delay the emergence of resistant strains.
Between 2019 and 2021, the use of sentinel antibiotics surged by 160% in Southeast Asia and by 126% in Africa. Concurrently, the use of reserve antibiotics increased by 45% in Southeast Asia and 125% in Africa. Alarmingly, out of more than three million children who died in 2022 due to AMR-related infections, two million deaths were associated with the usage of these highly risky antibiotics.
Professor Joseph Harwell, a co-author of the study, articulated the dire implications of rising antibiotic use: "While the increased reliance on sentinel and reserve antibiotics may respond to the simultaneous rise in drug-resistant infections, their excessive and uncontrolled use presents severe long-term risks. This situation elevates the threat of resistance and confines our future treatment options. Should bacteria develop resistance to these crucial drugs, viable alternatives for treating multi-drug resistant infections will diminish, rendering these infections nearly insurmountable."
Various factors intensify the impact of AMR in low- and middle-income countries, including overwhelmed healthcare systems, inadequate sanitary conditions, and insufficient infection prevention measures. These factors foster an environment conducive to the spread of resistant pathogens within healthcare facilities and local communities.
Professor Harwell further warned that unless immediate, coordinated, and comprehensive actions are taken globally and regionally, mortality rates—which are already alarmingly high—are likely to escalate significantly. This is especially true in low- and middle-income nations, where access to alternative treatments and advanced medical interventions may be severely limited.
The 2022 report calls for urgent and strategic interventions, stressing the importance of responsible antibiotic usage and enhanced healthcare infrastructures. The challenge of AMR will not be resolved overnight; rather, it demands a concerted, global effort to safeguard the health of future generations. With over three million lives lost in one year, the call to action has never been more critical.
The Scope of the Crisis
The global rise of AMR poses a severe threat, particularly in regions with high infection rates such as Southeast Asia and Africa. The study emphasizes the critical need for effective regional and global strategies to combat pediatric AMR. Data from the research indicates that in Southeast Asia alone, approximately 752,000 children lost their lives due to AMR-related complications. Similarly, the African continent faced a staggering loss of roughly 659,000 children.
Factors Contributing to AMR
The findings reveal a concerning pattern; many of these fatalities are linked to the inappropriate use of sentinel antibiotics, which bear a high risk of developing resistance, as well as reserve antibiotics, which are reserved for the treatment of severe infections when no alternatives exist. Such antibiotics should only be used judiciously to maintain their effectiveness and delay the emergence of resistant strains.
Between 2019 and 2021, the use of sentinel antibiotics surged by 160% in Southeast Asia and by 126% in Africa. Concurrently, the use of reserve antibiotics increased by 45% in Southeast Asia and 125% in Africa. Alarmingly, out of more than three million children who died in 2022 due to AMR-related infections, two million deaths were associated with the usage of these highly risky antibiotics.
Risks of Increasing Antibiotic Use
Professor Joseph Harwell, a co-author of the study, articulated the dire implications of rising antibiotic use: "While the increased reliance on sentinel and reserve antibiotics may respond to the simultaneous rise in drug-resistant infections, their excessive and uncontrolled use presents severe long-term risks. This situation elevates the threat of resistance and confines our future treatment options. Should bacteria develop resistance to these crucial drugs, viable alternatives for treating multi-drug resistant infections will diminish, rendering these infections nearly insurmountable."
Conditions Worsening AMR Infection Rates
Various factors intensify the impact of AMR in low- and middle-income countries, including overwhelmed healthcare systems, inadequate sanitary conditions, and insufficient infection prevention measures. These factors foster an environment conducive to the spread of resistant pathogens within healthcare facilities and local communities.
Professor Harwell further warned that unless immediate, coordinated, and comprehensive actions are taken globally and regionally, mortality rates—which are already alarmingly high—are likely to escalate significantly. This is especially true in low- and middle-income nations, where access to alternative treatments and advanced medical interventions may be severely limited.
The 2022 report calls for urgent and strategic interventions, stressing the importance of responsible antibiotic usage and enhanced healthcare infrastructures. The challenge of AMR will not be resolved overnight; rather, it demands a concerted, global effort to safeguard the health of future generations. With over three million lives lost in one year, the call to action has never been more critical.
Topics Health）
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