GENEVA, Oct. 2 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the world is running out of effective tools to combat drug-resistant bacteria, with too few new tests and treatments in development to keep pace with the rapidly growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR - driven largely by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals in humans, animals and agriculture - is already blamed for over a million deaths worldwide each year, with the heaviest burden falling on low- and middle-income countries.

In two new reports released Thursday, the WHO cautioned that the global pipeline of antibacterial treatments is shrinking and failing to keep up with the scale of the crisis.

"Antimicrobial resistance ...