Every infection demands a specific antibiotic and a carefully tailored protocol. The right drug for the right organism must always be the rule.
Mumbai: With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rising as a major global health threat, experts at the 15th annual conference of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society (CIDSCON 2025), underway at the NCPA in Mumbai, called for a paradigm shift in how young doctors are trained—focusing not just on when to prescribe antibiotics, but when not to.
Over three days, leading infectious disease specialists from across India shared concerns that irrational antibiotic use is rapidly eroding the effectiveness of life-saving drugs.
“India urgently needs a stronger MBBS curriculum and newer, more effective anti-infectives to fight AMR,” said Dr. Subramanian Swaminathan, Vice President, CIDS. He noted that the government is actively considering integrating infection control practices into medical training. “The next generation of doctors must learn this not only to protect patients but also to safeguard themselves.”
AMR Already Impacting Treatment Outcomes
The impact of resistance is being felt across multiple diseases. Dr. Vasant Nagvekar, Secretary, CIDS, highlighted that drug resistance is complicating the treatment of tuberculosis, while even tropical infections like dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis are becoming harder to manage.
“Every infection demands a specific antibiotic and a carefully tailored protocol. The right drug for the right organism must always be the rule,” he stressed, adding that 60–70% of resistance to third-generation antibiotics in sepsis cases is reported from India. “For low- and middle-income nations, AMR is a challenge—for India, it is an urgent crisis.”
Economic and Systemic Drivers of Misuse
Experts also pointed to systemic and economic drivers of misuse. Dr. Kamini Walia, Senior Scientist at ICMR, observed that antibiotics are often cheaper than diagnostic tests, leading to over-prescription without proper investigations. “This is where education and awareness become critical,” she said.
 rising as a major global health threat, experts at the 15th annual conference of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society (CIDSCON 2025), underway at the NCPA in Mumbai, called for a paradigm shift in how young doctors are trained—focusing not just on when to prescribe antibiotics, but when not to.){kind=link}