Antibiotic resistance: a plague of our own making
Antibiotic resistance: a plague of our own making
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Media Source: The Tribune (Pakistan)
Date: 18 August 2025
Recent findings by Aga Khan University (AKU), in Karachi, show that Pakistan has witnessed one of the world’s largest outbreaks of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid, which began in Hyderabad in 2016. By 2018, over 5,000 confirmed XDR Salmonella Typhi cases had been reported, nearly 70 percent of them in Karachi.…
Recent findings by Aga Khan University (AKU), in Karachi, show that Pakistan has witnessed one of the world’s largest outbreaks of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid, which began in Hyderabad in 2016. By 2018, over 5,000 confirmed XDR Salmonella Typhi cases had been reported, nearly 70 percent of them in Karachi. “In Pakistan, this silent epidemic is taking a firm grip, especially among children who are our youngest and most vulnerable,” says Dr Imran Nasir, Associate Professor at Aga Khan University, Karachi. “Hospitals across the country are seeing an alarming surge in antibiotic resistance, much of it stemming from the widespread and often reckless use of antibiotics.” From rural clinics to urban hospitals, antimicrobial resistance is eroding treatment options, turning routine infections into life-or-death battles. If left unchecked, Pakistan’s overreliance on antibiotics will continue to shrink the arsenal of drugs that can save lives, leaving doctors with fewer — and often more toxic — options.