Over 200,000 newborns die annually from infections that standard antibiotics can no longer cure. Very few antibiotics are designed for infants, prompting new clinical trials in Kenya and South Africa for solutions against neonatal sepsis.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerged as one of the most urgent yet overlooked topics at the recent World Conference of Science Journalists 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa, where experts warned that the accelerating crisis puts millions of lives at risk, particularly young children and newborns.
Global health data reveals a staggering death toll. A 2024 Lancet study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) found that in 2021 alone, 4.71 million deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance, including 1.14 million deaths directly attributable to drug-resistant infections.
In the same year, sepsis, a life-threatening immune response to infection, was involved in 21.36 million deaths. Of these sepsis deaths, 36 per cent were caused by bacterial infections. Among these bacterial infections, 1.23 million deaths occurred in children under five years old.
“Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the leading cause of bacterial infection deaths globally, accounting for 15 per cent of all bacterial infection deaths,” said Prof. Natalie Schellack of the University of Pretoria. “What is sad is that these are illnesses we should be able to treat.”
For young children, the deadliest bacterial infection was Streptococcus pneumoniae, responsible for 221,026 deaths in 2021.
Kenya is contributing 600 participants to evaluate new combinations of existing antibiotics
Newborn babies face a particularly severe threat. Each year, 214,000 newborns globally die from infections that no longer respond to antibiotics, according to a 2023 PLOS Medicine study led by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP).
“There are very few antibiotics developed specifically for newborns,” said Carol Ruffell, Director of GARDP Africa. “We urgently need better options.”
This urgent need is driving a major international clinical trial to test new antibiotic regimens for neonatal sepsis. The NeoSep1 trial began Phase 1 in South Africa and Kenya in 2023, with Phase 2 launching in South Africa in June 2025.
In Kenya, the trial is in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) at Kilifi County Hospital, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, and Mbagathi Hospital.
The trial has now expanded to nine countries across Africa and Asia as of June 2025, with plans to expand to additional Asian countries in 2026. It aims to enrol 3,000 newborns globally, with Kenya contributing 600 participants, to evaluate new combinations of existing antibiotics and inform updated WHO treatment guidelines.
New effective antibiotic developed are often not available or affordable
Health experts point to several key, ongoing problems that are making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worse. A major issue is the misuse of antibiotics, such as using them for viral illnesses like colds, where they don’t work. Patients also contribute by not finishing their full course of treatment. In farming, antibiotics are often used to make animals grow faster rather than to treat sickness. In hospitals, poor hygiene helps resistant germs spread.
Furthermore, many places lack fast lab tests to diagnose infections correctly. Even when new effective antibiotics are developed, they often aren’t available or affordable in poorer countries. The problem is compounded by counterfeit antibiotics that flood markets.
Even when antibiotics exist, many countries cannot afford them, cannot distribute them reliably, or lack the diagnostic tools needed to use them correctly.
Vaccines play a crucial role in slowing AMR by preventing infections, reducing antibiotic use, and limiting the spread of drug-resistant germs. Experts stressed the need to increase the use of existing vaccines, develop new ones targeting resistant bacteria, and share evidence showing vaccines’ impact on reducing antibiotic use.
Despite its impact, antimicrobial resistance receives limited media coverage
Another pressing issue is sexually transmitted diseases. Gonorrhoea causes 82 million infections every yearbut is becoming increasingly difficult to treat, according to the WHO. Resistant strains have been reported worldwide. If untreated, it can cause infertility, pregnancy complications, increased HIV transmission, and be passed to newborns during birth.
Despite its impact, AMR often receives limited media coverage. Science communication specialist Marina Joubert notes it is typically framed as merely a scientific issue, leaving the human stories untold. She encouraged journalists to use relatable language and highlight local experiences to build public engagement.
Future forecasts are alarming. A 2024 Lancet study from the GRAM Project indicates AMR deaths will rise by almost 70 per cent by 2050 compared to 2022. Between 2025 and 2050, an estimated 39 million deaths will be directly caused by AMR, with a broader 169 million deaths associated with drug-resistant infections.
However, the crisis is not inevitable. The same research highlights that decisive action-including improved healthcare access, expanded prevention measures, and new antibiotics-could save a total of 92 million lives between 2025 and 2050, protecting future generations from the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
