Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Achieving sustainable access to antibiotics is more than just a last mile challenge

Improving access to antibiotics will save lives and reduce the rise and spread of drug-resistant infections. Instead of traditional ‘last mile’ global health solutions, global leaders need to support efforts to develop suitable antibiotics and their rational use, ensuring that countries have the capacity to make them available.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Ikuta, K. S. et al. Global mortality associated with 33 bacterial pathogens in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet 400, 2221–2248 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lewnard, J. A. et al. Burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in low-income and middle-income countries avertible by existing interventions: an evidence review and modelling analysis. Lancet 403, 2439–2454 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kållberg, C. et al. Introduction and geographic availability of new antibiotics approved between 1999 and 2014. PLoS ONE 13, e0205166 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. African Society for Laboratory Medicine. Policy brief and infographics on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Africa. ASLM https://aslm.org/resource/policy-brief-and-infographics-on-antimicrobial-resistance-amr-in-africa/ (2022).

  5. Klein, E. Y. et al. Assessment of WHO antibiotic consumption and access targets in 76 countries, 2000–15: an analysis of pharmaceutical sales data. Lancet Infect. Dis. 21, 107–115 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kanu, J. S. et al. National antibiotic consumption for human use in Sierra Leone (2017–2019): a cross-sectional study. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 6, 77 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Namugambe, J. S. et al. National antimicrobial consumption: analysis of central warehouses supplies to in-patient care health facilities from 2017 to 2019 in Uganda. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 6, 83 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Shukar, S. et al. Drug shortage: causes, impact, and mitigation strategies. Front. Pharmacol. 12, 693426 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Murray, C. J. L. et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet 399, 629–655 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. So, A. D., Ruiz-Esparza, Q., Gupta, N. & Cars, O. 3Rs for innovating novel antibiotics: sharing resources, risks, and rewards. BMJ. 344, e1782 (2012).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manica Balasegaram.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Balasegaram, M., Muñoz Tellez, V. Achieving sustainable access to antibiotics is more than just a last mile challenge. Nat Rev Microbiol 22, 593–594 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-024-01083-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-024-01083-5

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology