A rising wave of drug-resistant typhoid is posing a severe health threat, particularly to children, in Pakistan.

Eight-year-old Ukasha is one of many affected, suffering from a prolonged case of typhoid fever that should have been resolved in days. His illness, caused by an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain of the bacteria Salmonella typhi, has left him bedridden for a month.

Typhoid, primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water, can be fatal if untreated, yet is usually curable with antibiotics.

The effectiveness of these antibiotics is diminishing as the bacteria develop resistance. Pakistan has reported over 15,000 cases of XDR-typhoid, with many outbreaks going unrecorded.

The situation is exacerbated by poor access to clean water and sanitation, with health officials indicating that contaminated water is responsible for about 80% of diseases in the country. Dr. Maria Neira from the World Health Organization emphasizes that typhoid should be preventable with adequate infrastructure.

Despite vaccination efforts covering over 30 million children since 2019, the infection continues to spread, particularly in northern regions.

Laboratory testing is crucial for effective treatment, but many patients are treated with ineffective antibiotics due to misdiagnosis.

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As drug-resistant infections become more prevalent worldwide, experts warn that the rise of XDR-typhoid could signal a return to more deadly forms of the disease.

Global leaders are set to discuss this crisis at the UN, as the threat of superbugs looms larger than ever.