The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning regarding the accelerating global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), revealing that drug-resistant bacterial infections are currently responsible for roughly one million deaths annually across the globe, a fatal toll equivalent to two lives lost every minute.
This was revealed during an online press briefing organised to mark the opening of a high-level exhibition titled “AMR: The Human Stories Behind a Silent Pandemic”, currently taking place at the European Parliament from 28 September to 2 October 2026.
The Acting Director of the WHO Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, Dr. Jean-Pierre Nyemazi, sounded the alarm over the multi-sectoral reach of superbugs.
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“AMR affects humans, animals, plants, food systems, economies and the environment,” Dr. Nyemazi stated, emphasising that resistant pathogens effortlessly cross administrative sectors, national borders, and continents. “One Health is not just a framework; it must translate into action.”
Dr. Nyemazi explained that a comprehensive approach to infection prevention could drastically reduce the emergence and rapid transmission of resistant microbes.
“Key interventions include expanding vaccination coverage, enforcing rigorous infection prevention and control (IPC) standards, securing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, and implementing sustainable animal husbandry practices”.
Dr. Nyemazi highlighted that WHO Member States formally approved an updated Global Action Plan on AMR at the World Health Assembly in May 2026.
“This comprehensive 10-year roadmap provides countries with structured targets to curb the crisis.
“The plan places stronger emphasis on prevention, governance, behavioural change and measurable targets, including a 10 per cent reduction target,” Nyemazi detailed.
Fortify Primary Healthcare
He further stressed that national governments must fortify their primary healthcare networks to deliver rapid, accurate diagnosis and correct treatment regimens.
Moreover, Dr. Nyemazi called for strictly enforced laws against the over-the-counter and inappropriate dispensing of antibiotics, alongside greater deployment of modern digital technologies to track pharmaceutical supply chains and enhance overall accountability.
Rob Purdie, an AMR survivor and active member of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, recounted his ordeal with an antifungal-resistant infection that resulted in prolonged hospitalisation, debilitating physical complications, and immense financial strain.
“Journalists have an important role in bringing the issue into public debate,” Purdie declared, calling for a fundamental shift in how the crisis is communicated”.
“The world must move beyond describing AMR as a ‘silent pandemic’ and ensure that the experiences of affected people receive greater attention.”
Curb Agricultural Misuse and Environmental Spillover
Reinforcing the call for regulatory reform, Member of the European Parliament, Martin Häusling, cautioned against systemic misuse of critical medicines within the livestock sector and clinical settings.
“We need reduced and more targeted use of antibiotics in human and animal health,” Häusling urged, specifically condemning the widespread practice of mass preventative medication in food-producing animals and the overuse of last-resort reserve antibiotics”.
“Resistant pathogens can easily enter the wider environment through contaminated wastewater, creating widespread ecological hazards.”
Häusling noted that the exhibition at the European Parliament was deliberately curated to prove that AMR is not a distant theoretical threat, but an immediate hazard capable of disrupting any family or community.
Looking ahead, the WHO confirmed that the upcoming World AMR Awareness Week, slated for 18 to 24 November 2026, will mobilize global stakeholders under the unified call to action: “One Health, One Action, Prevent AMR Now.”
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