Dramatic rise seen in antibiotic use

Antibiotic use is growing steadily worldwide, driven mainly by rising demand in low- and middle-income countries, according to a report released on 17th September. The research presents the clearest picture yet of how and where the drugs are used, and the prevalence of different types of antibiotic resistance.

The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (CDDEP), a non-profit group headquartered in Washington DC, based the analysis on data from scientific literature and national and regional surveillance systems. The organization used this to calculate and map the rate of antibiotic resistance for 12 types of bacteria in 39 countries, and trends in antibiotic use in 69 countries over the past 10 years or longer.

Global antibiotic consumption grew by 30% between 2000 and 2010. This growth is driven mostly by countries such as South Africa and India, where antibiotics are widely available over the counter and sanitation in some areas is poor.