"While there is a lot to be encouraged by, much more work needs to be done to combat one of the most serious global health threats of our time." - Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security. Dr. Keiji Fukuda also added that antibiotic resistance is the single greatest challenge in infectious diseases.
A survey was completed by 133 countries in 2013 and 2014 which captured the individual Government's own assessment of their responses to antibiotic resistance issues especially to blood borne infections, tuberculosis and HIV related infections. The survey revealed an appalling truth that only 34 out of 133 participating in the survey had any national plans to combat antibiotic resistance to antibiotic agents.
The exact situation might be far worser considering only 8 nations of the 47 member nations participated in the survey from the African Region. The issues of antibiotic resistance is rampant in African region.
The encouraging aspect of South East Asian region was that all 11 member nations participated in the survey of which 5 out of 11 nations had a national plan to combat antimicrobial resistance.
One more challenge that was revealed was that health workers comply poorly with prescribing standards and guidelines.
