Be wary, gonorrhea is now outsmarting antibiotics – experts

The time for even greater self-control, discipline and caution may be here.

Health experts have warned of a growing crisis; gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Scientists say the disease is now showing resistance to almost every major class of antibiotics, raising fears that it could soon become far more difficult — and in some cases impossible — to treat.

Gonorrhea can cause severe health complications if left untreated, including infertility in both men and women, pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy complications and an increased risk of HIV transmission.

According to the 2026 AMR Benchmark Report released by the Access to Medicine Foundation, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is spreading rapidly, with gonorrhoea among the infections showing alarming levels of resistance.

The report warns that global efforts to develop new antimicrobial medicines are not keeping pace with the speed at which drug resistance is evolving.

“The need for new antibiotics has never been greater. Without significant change, AMR will cause a devastating rise in deaths from preventable infections over the next two decades,” said Jayasree K Iyer, chief executive officer of the Access to Medicine Foundation.

“Vulnerable populations living in poorer countries hit the hardest,” Iyer said.

The new report confirms earlier findings by the Kenya Medical Research Institute of the existence of a drug-resistant strain, often called "super gonorrhea,"

At the time, Kemri said super gonorrhea had been detected in Nairobi and other urban centres in Kenya.

On Thursday, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) said it is convening a key meeting in Nairobi to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

PSK warned antimicrobial resistance could severely undermine the treatment of common infections if urgent action is not taken.

PSK President Wairimu Mbogo confirmed that the society is hosting a major event focused on the issue.

It will bring together health professionals to discuss the scale of the crisis and possible interventions.

“We have a big event on Friday on antimicrobial resistance,” Dr Mbogo said.

Former PSK President Paul Mwaniki said the Ministry of Health must urgently establish the true scale of antimicrobial resistance across the country to craft effective policies and responses.

“We need to know the numbers so that decisions can be made on policies and even sensitisation programmes,” Mwaniki said.

He warned that one of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance is the improper use of antibiotics, particularly when patients fail to complete prescribed doses.

Mwaniki said most antibiotic treatments are typically prescribed for about five days, but many patients stop taking the medication after just two days once they start feeling better.

“Resistance to treatment is most likely caused by patients not completing the dose,” he said. “People begin to feel better and stop the medication, yet the bacteria are not completely eliminated.”

When infections are not properly treated, he said, patients often require stronger and more expensive antibiotics to recover.

“Improper use of antibiotics is a major reason for the problem. When a disease is not treated well, a patient may end up needing a higher class of antibiotics to treat it,” Mwaniki said.

The financial implications can be severe, particularly for people living in low-income communities.

“To treat the disease you may need as little as Sh200, but when you require a higher class of antibiotics the cost can rise to as much as Sh10,000,” he said.

“That is an amount many people in informal settlements simply cannot afford.”

The 2026 AMR Benchmark Report warns that drug resistance is now outpacing industry-wide innovation, leaving health systems increasingly vulnerable.

Globally, antimicrobial resistance already poses a major health threat. More than one million people die each year as a direct result of drug-resistant infections, while AMR contributes to more than four million deaths annually.

Without stronger intervention, experts project that by 2050 the number of deaths directly linked to drug-resistant infections could nearly double.

Gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria, is typically treated using antibiotics.

However, the report indicates that the bacteria responsible for the disease have steadily developed resistance to several major antibiotic classes over the past decades.

The infection is also capable of spreading silently because many patients experience mild or no symptoms in its early stages.

Globally, an estimated 82 million people contract gonorrhoea each year, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.

Kenya is not immune to the growing threat.

A recent genetic study conducted by researchers from Pwani University found that some regions of the country carry a particularly heavy burden of drug-resistant gonorrhoea strains.

The study, which was peer-reviewed and published in the PLOS ONE journal, analysed gonorrhoea bacteria samples collected across Kenya.

 It revealed that Kisumu and surrounding areas recorded the highest levels of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Researchers ranked Kisumu first in the country for the prevalence of resistant gonorrhoea bacteria, followed by Kombewa (small town near Kisumu), Nairobi, the Coast region and the Rift Valley.

Kombewa surprised scientists by recording the second-highest concentration of bacteria carrying drug-resistant genes in Kenya, even higher than the capital, Nairobi.

The findings add to earlier warnings from scientists at the Kenya Medical Research Institute who, in 2023, isolated a gonorrhoea strain in Nairobi that showed resistance to all available antibiotics.

Health experts warn that the growing prevalence of drug-resistant infections is being compounded by limited access to effective medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

“The challenge now is to urgently develop and apply approaches across more products and across more countries to minimise this global threat and save lives,” the report stated.

The study also highlights that the pipeline for new antimicrobial medicines is shrinking.

Over the past five years, the number of antimicrobial research projects led by major pharmaceutical companies has dropped by 35 per cent.

Today, only three large pharmaceutical companies continue to invest heavily in innovative antimicrobial research and development.

While smaller biotechnology firms have attempted to fill the gap, they face significant challenges such as limited funding and lack of global market reach.

“From research and development through manufacturing, to access and stewardship and measuring real-world patient reach, the Benchmark illustrates the potential for companies to develop more comprehensive approaches,” said Claudia Martínez, director of research at the Access to Medicine Foundation.

“But we need intensified, industry-wide action,” Martínez said.

The report further warns that millions of people in low and middle-income countries continue to face barriers accessing essential antibiotics.

 In many cases, especially for children, the availability of appropriate treatments is severely limited.

The consequences are particularly dire for young children.

Vulnerable populations, including children under five years old, are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases and are at higher risk of complications when effective medicines are unavailable.

Beyond sexually transmitted infections, the growing crisis also affects common illnesses such as urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Each year, around 150 million people worldwide develop UTIs, and between 50 and 60 per cent of women globally will experience the condition at least once in their lifetime.

However, many of these infections are becoming harder to treat due to antibiotic resistance.

Since the World Health Organisation first declared antimicrobial resistance a major global health threat in 2014, international efforts to address the problem have increased significantly.

Governments, scientists and pharmaceutical companies have launched initiatives aimed at promoting responsible antibiotic use and encouraging the development of new treatments.

Despite these efforts, experts say the world still faces a long road ahead.

For people living in lowand middle-income countries, where infectious diseases are more common and health systems are often under-resourced, the combination of limited access to medicines and rising drug resistance is especially dangerous.

The report emphasises that addressing AMR requires coordinated action across multiple sectors, including governments, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers.

“AMR demands coordinated action across sectors; no single stakeholder can tackle it alone,” the report states.