According to the study, an expansion in vaccination coverage against 23 specific pathogens could reduce antibiotic use by up to 22%.
The WHO reports that approximately 5 million people die annually due to bacterial resistance | Photo: Myke Sena/MS
A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights a growing public health issue: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The organization emphasizes the potential of vaccines to reduce the need for antibiotics. According to the data presented, if vaccination coverage were expanded to combat 23 specific pathogens, global antibiotic consumption could decrease by up to 22%, or about 2.5 billion doses annually—a volume calculated based on daily doses administered to treat infections.
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Antimicrobial resistance arises when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become increasingly resistant to medications, making effective treatment of infections more challenging. This issue is exacerbated by the improper use of antibiotics and has serious consequences: the WHO estimates that AMR is associated with approximately 5 million deaths per year.
The report also notes that increasing the use of available vaccines for respiratory diseases could save 106,000 lives annually. Additionally, vaccines in development against tuberculosis and the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae have the potential to prevent over half a million deaths.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that “tackling antimicrobial resistance begins with infection prevention, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for this.” He also emphasized the importance of expanding access to vaccines and continuing to develop new ones, especially for severe diseases such as tuberculosis, with the goal of saving lives and reducing the impact of AMR.