Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has gained much traction over the past few years and yesterday marks the release of the first report by the Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS). The report revealed widespread AMR across 22 countries. It found that bacteria resistant to at least one common antibiotic was as high as 82% in some countries.

“Some of the world’s most common – and potentially most dangerous – infections are proving drug-resistant,” said Dr. Marc Sprenger, director of WHO’s AMR Secretariat.

Due to the relatively recent emergence of a dialogue on AMR, research is limited and therefore this report represents a milestone. Overtime, GLASS will help countries target interventions, develop national plans, standardize data collection methods and enable review of AMR patterns and trends. Many countries have already adjusted their AMR responses according to GLASS and are aiming to collect more accurate and robust data to fight AMR.

photo credit: United Nations