Context
- In December 2025, the Prime Minister highlighted AMR as a national public health concern. The reference was made during the 129th edition of Mann Ki Baat.
- Citing ICMR data, he noted declining antibiotic effectiveness against pneumonia and urinary infections. He identified indiscriminate and irrational antibiotic use as India’s core AMR driver.
- Citizens were urged to avoid self-medication, especially over-the-counter antibiotic consumption.
Need for a One Health Approach
- AMR in India has become a multi-sectoral crisis requiring integrated solutions.
- Experts stress a One Health framework, linking human, animal, and environmental health.
- Isolated awareness efforts are insufficient at India’s current AMR trajectory.
- Coordinated action across sectors is essential to curb resistance sustainably.
Gaps in Surveillance and Data
- AMR surveillance expansion is critical to understand national resistance patterns accurately.
- Current surveillance is concentrated in urban, tertiary-care medical institutions.
- Non-urban and community-level AMR prevalence remains largely unrecorded.
- Urban bias may distort national averages and policy responses.
Status of India’s AMR Surveillance Network
- India’s National AMR Surveillance Network (NARS-Net) was established in 2013.
- It currently includes 60 sentinel medical college laboratories.
- For WHO’s GLASS (Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System) 2023 report, data came from 41 sites across 31 States/UTs.
- Laboratories report on nine priority bacterial pathogens and select fungal pathogens.
Calls for Expanding Surveillance
- Experts advocate inclusion of primary, secondary, and private healthcare facilities.
- Broader participation would generate more balanced and representative national data.
- Surveillance expansion requires investment, enforcement, and sustained political will.
Global Framework and Way Forward
- The WHO Global Action Plan (2015) outlines five AMR objectives.
- These include awareness, surveillance, infection reduction, rational drug use, and innovation.
- Political signalling improves awareness, but surveillance strengthening remains pivotal.