BEIJING (TVBS News) — Doctors warn that antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly evident among Chinese children combating Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a concerning trend for global health economics.
According to the World Bank, by 2050, drug-resistant diseases could lead to an estimated NT＄31 trillion in healthcare costs and up to NT＄106 trillion in economic losses.
Bloomberg reports that the rise of superbugs, resulting from years of antibiotic overuse, is diminishing the effectiveness of these medicines, compromising treatment outcomes.
Azithromycin, a widely used antibiotic in China and first-line treatment for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, now faces a resistance rate of nearly 80% to Macrolides, a class of antibiotics.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which has repeatedly warned of the perils of antibiotic overuse, refers to the situation as a "silent pandemic."
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has voiced concern that antibiotic resistance could return us to "an era where minor infections are untreatable."