War clinics in Ukraine witness sharp rise in drug-resistant infections

Pte Oleksander Bezverkhny, a 27-year-old with severe abdominal injuries, was amputated and his legs amputated. However, his infections were resistant to antibiotics, making his life nearly hopeless. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global issue, with 1.4 million people dying of AMR infections in 2021 and 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections in the UK in 2023. War in Ukraine has accelerated the spread of multi-resistant pathogens, with over 80% of patients admitted to Feofaniya Hospital having infections caused by resistant microbes. Medical facilities can be overwhelmed with people injured during the war, affecting the spread of AMR bacteria.