Newz Desk, Durgapur: Some of the most common and potentially life-threatening infections—such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, sepsis and diarrhoeal illnesses—are becoming increasingly difficult to treat in India as widely used antibiotics continue to lose their effectiveness at alarming rates, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned.
The findings come from ICMR’s Annual Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research & Surveillance Network Report 2024, which analysed nearly one lakh laboratory-confirmed infection samples collected from leading hospitals across the country. The report highlights a trend that experts have feared for years: routine antibiotics are no longer working against many of the bacteria most frequently seen in Indian healthcare settings.
Widely Used Antibiotics Losing Power
According to the report, major categories of antibiotics—including fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam—are rapidly becoming ineffective against several Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria account for a majority of hospital infections and often cause severe illness.
ICUs Face the Worst Threat
The crisis is most acute in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), where patients are already severely ill and vulnerable to secondary infections. ICMR noted that resistance levels in ICUs were “even more alarming”, with drug-resistant bacterial infections becoming harder to control and eradicate.
Dr. Y. Radhakrishna Gastro & Liver Specialist visiting Apollo Clinic Durgapur said ‘Antibiotics are not magic bullets. Their misuse in hospitals, clinics and even in homes is accelerating resistance at a pace we can’t keep up with. We urgently need coordinated action before the crisis becomes irreversible. Treatment options are shrinking fast, and in many cases, we are left relying on older, more toxic drugs that were rarely used earlier’
Hospital Data, Not Community Trends
The report clarifies that the data primarily reflects hospital infection patterns and does not necessarily represent antibiotic resistance in community settings. However, health experts warn that hospital-based AMR can eventually spill into the community, making everyday infections increasingly harder to treat.
Growing Public Health Emergency
India has been grappling with the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance for over a decade. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics, lack of stringent infection-control practices, and limited access to microbiological testing have all contributed to the crisis.
Health experts say the ICMR’s 2024 findings underscore the urgent need for:
- Stricter antibiotic stewardship in hospitals
- Improved infection-prevention measures
- Surveillance systems to track emerging resistant strains
- Public awareness against the misuse of antibiotics
Without immediate interventions, India risks entering a post-antibiotic era where routine infections could once again become deadly.
Image courtesy@internet
