Antibiotic Use Varies Widely Around World, WHO Report Shows

Becker’s Hospital Review: WHO releases antibiotic resistance report: 4 things to know
“The World Health Organization issued a 127-page surveillance report on antibiotic consumption, which highlights large discrepancies in how the medications are used worldwide. For the report, the WHO examined 2015 data from 65 countries and territories. Most of the data centered on Europe and countries with pre-existing, fully developed antibiotic surveillance systems…” (Bean, 11/13).

STAT Plus: WHO finds huge disparities in antibiotic usage around the world
“…[The] report finds wide differences in how these medicines are used in 65 countries and territories, underscoring concerns that some countries may be overusing antibiotics while that access may be insufficient elsewhere. Specifically, overall antibiotic use ranged widely, from 4.4 to 64.4 so-called defined daily doses per 1,000 residents per day in 2015, according to the World Health Organization, which released the first such review of global consumption of the medicines. The lowest usage was found in Burundi, while antibiotic use was highest in Mongolia…” (Silverman, 11/13).

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