Global contributors to antibiotic resistance

Introduction: Antibiotic-resistant infections have become increasingly prevalent nowadays. As a result, it is essential to examine the key socioeconomic and political factors which contribute to the rise in the prevalence of antibiotic resistancein developing and developed nations. This study aims to identify the various contributors to the development of antibiotic resistancein each typeof nation. Methods: PUBMED was used to identify primary research, systematic reviews, and narrative reviews published before Jan 2017. Search terms included antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial resistance, superbugs, multidrug-resistant organisms, developing countries, developed countries. Publications from different countries were included to ensure generalizability. Publications were excluded if they didn't mention factors causing resistance, focused on the molecular basis of resistance, or if they were case reports. Publicly available reports from national and international healthagencies were used. Results: In developing countries, key contributors identified included: (1) Lack of surveillance of resistance development, (2) poor quality of available antibiotics, (3) clinical misuse, and (4) ease of availability of antibiotics. In developed countries, poor hospital-level regulation and excessive antibioticuse in food-producing animals play a major role in leading to antibiotic resistance. Finally, research on novel antibioticsis slow ing down due to the lack of economic incentives for antibioticresearch. Conclusion: Overall, multiple factors, which are distinct for developing and developed countries, contribute to the increase in the prevalence of antibiotic resistanceglobally. The results highlight the need to improve the regulatory framework for antibioticuse and research globally.