An estimated 440,000 new cases of tuberculosis resistant to several types of drugs were reported last year in nearly 60 countries across the globe, according to the agency.
"At the same time, other age-old diseases are on the rise with the possibility of no cure," said Shin Young-soo, WHO regional director for Western Pacific area. Shin called on WHO's 193 member-states to commit resources and adopt policies to fight the growing problem of drug resistance.
"Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern not only because it kills, but because it increases health costs and threatens patient care."
A gene that makes bugs highly resistant to almost all known antibiotics, or "super superbugs," has been found in bacteria in the water supplies in New Delhi. The gene, called NDM 1, first emerged in India three years ago and has spread across the world.
MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a superbug that alone is estimated to kill 19,000 people each year in the United States -- far more than HIV and AIDS.
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