At the 15th Annual Conference of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society (CIDSCON 2025), leading infectious disease experts underscored the urgent need for judicious antibiotic use and stronger infection control to fight the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The conference, which brought together specialists from across the country, emphasised a multi-dimensional approach—spanning medical education, hospital protocols, stewardship programs, and public awareness—to curb resistance that threatens to undermine modern medicine.
Dr George Varghese, Infectious Diseases Specialist at CMC Vellore, warned that excessive and prolonged prescriptions were fuelling resistance. “Most of the antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary, and that too for a long duration. This antibiotic pressure makes them resistant. Judicious use of antibiotics makes a lot of difference,” he said.
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Dr Rajeev Soman, scientific chairperson of CIDS, highlighted that both small and large hospitals must integrate stewardship programs to rationalise antibiotic use.
“Even infection control practices such as handwashing have to be followed diligently. General public should not insist on antibiotics with doctors and pharmacists. Resistance is at a high level in India and by the time the patient is admitted to a multi-specialty hospital, they are already resistant, making treatment difficult,” he noted.
Dr Vasant Nagwekar, secretary of CIDS, flagged India’s particularly high resistance rates. Around 60-70 per cent of resistance to third-generation sepsis occurs in India."Tropical infections like dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. The right antibiotic for the correct organism, guided by protocols, should be prioritized,” he stressed.
Experts agreed that India’s healthcare system must undergo structural reforms to address AMR. Dr Subramanian, VP of CIDS, pointed out that sanitation, curriculum upgrades, and infection control training are as crucial as antibiotics themselves.
“The most effective answer to reducing infection-related deaths is not just antibiotics or vaccines; it is sanitation. The government is now looking at integrating infection control into the medical curriculum. In the West, every doctor, whether a psychiatrist or neurosurgeon, learns the basics of infection control and antibiotic resistance,” he explained.
Highlighting the risks of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), Dr V. Balaji from CMC Vellore said “If a patient gets admitted with diabetes and instead develops sepsis due to a hospital-acquired infection, it becomes a double burden. A hospital can act like an incubator, leading to higher chances of infection spread."
Chief guest Dr Kamini Walia, senior scientist at ICMR, stressed that the affordability of antibiotics often leads to indiscriminate use without proper diagnostics. “Since antibiotics are cheaper than diagnostics, doctors often prescribe them without following proper rules. This calls for more education, awareness, and sensitization among both the public and physicians,” she said.
She added that India has recently produced its first national estimates on hospital-acquired infections, which are now shaping hospital policies.
Experts reminded that AMR is a serious public health crisis, with global forecasts predicting 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if unchecked. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics remain the leading causes of resistance, making the issue a critical priority for both healthcare systems and governments.