Children in Pakistan are suffering from drug-resistant typhoid, a once-treatable disease that has become harder to cure as antibiotics fail, threatening global health.
Misbah Khan reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Typhoid is spreading in Pakistan, especially among children, as strains resistant to multiple antibiotics have emerged.
- Unsafe water and poor sanitation contribute to typhoid outbreaks, with limited access to effective antibiotics making treatment harder.
- Pakistan has vaccinated millions, but drug-resistant strains are spreading, and more children are falling sick.
Key quote:
“Typhoid was once treatable with a set of pills and now ends up with patients in hospital.”
— Jehan Zeb Khan, clinical pharmacist.
Why this matters:
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat, and the spread of drug-resistant typhoid in Pakistan is a warning of future health crises. Without urgent action on water sanitation and antibiotic overuse, life-saving treatments may fail entirely, impacting millions worldwide.
