A global health crisis is quietly claiming the lives of millions of children, with a recent study warning that drug-resistant infections are responsible for up to three million deaths among children each year. The threat, driven by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is particularly devastating in newborns and infants who contract common infections that are no longer treatable with standard antibiotics.
The study, conducted across 19 hospitals in 11 countries—including India, Kenya, Brazil, and South Africa—found that nearly 40% of life-threatening infections in newborns, such as sepsis, were resistant to widely used antibiotics. In countries like India, more than 50,000 newborns are estimated to die annually from these drug-resistant infections. The toll is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries, where access to newer, more effective treatments is limited and over-the-counter antibiotic use is often poorly regulated.
Globally, AMR has become one of the leading causes of death, eclipsing diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria in some regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, as many as one in five deaths among children under five can be traced back to infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. Factors such as overuse of antibiotics, poor sanitation, and lack of proper medical infrastructure have created the perfect storm for superbugs to thrive.
Health experts are sounding the alarm, urging immediate action to prevent further tragedy. They are calling for tighter control over antibiotic prescriptions, better hygiene practices in hospitals and communities, and increased investment in the development of new treatments and diagnostic tools. The World Health Organization has long warned that without global action, drug resistance could reverse decades of medical progress.
As this silent epidemic continues to spread, the international community faces a stark choice: take decisive action now, or risk a future where common childhood infections once again become deadly.
