Mumbai: Drug-resistant infections, which cause close to 3 lakh deaths in India annually, are emerging as a major public health problem that could be checked by educating the public about misusing antibiotics and updating the curriculum of undergraduate medical studies.This summation comes from infectious diseases specialists gathered in Mumbai for the 15th Annual Conference of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society (CIDSCON 2025) on Saturday. Emphasising that the medical system must be upgraded to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Dr V Ramasubramanian from Chennai said, “The govt is now looking into more integration of infection control in the medical curriculum. It is important for the next generation to learn this for the safety of patients and also for their own safety.”In the West, doctors from every specialty have to learn the basics of infection control and antibiotic resistance. ICMR senior scientist Dr Kamini Walia said, “Since antibiotics are cheaper than diagnostics, doctors often prescribe them without following proper diagnostic rules. This calls for more education, awareness, and sensitisation, both among the public and physicians on responsible antibiotic use.”Doctors said that people should not insist on antibiotics with doctors and pharmacists. “Drug resistance is so high in India that it’s difficult to treat patients,” said infectious diseases specialist Dr Rajeev Soman. Dr Vasant Nagvekar from Lilavati Hospital said, “Tropical infections such as dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis are becoming difficult to treat every year.”
