WHO-recommended antibiotics cover only 1 in 4 neonatal sepsis infections in low- and middle-income countries

A major multi-country study has found that WHO-recommended first-line antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are likely to be effective in only one-quarter of infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The findings, presented today at ESCMID Global 2026 in Munich, highlight the growing impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).