By Dr. Juri B. Kalita
There’s a peculiar irony in modern medicine. We can transplant organs, sequence genomes, and develop vaccines in record time—yet we’re gradually losing our ability to treat infections that were easily cured half a century ago.
The phenomenon is called antimicrobial resistance, and it represents one of the gravest threats to global health today. Simply put, the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause infections are evolving to survive the very drugs designed to kill them. What was once a straightforward course of treatment has become, in many cases, a medical puzzle with diminishing solutions.
The numbers are sobering. Antimicrobial resistance already claims over 1.2 million lives annually worldwide. Without significant intervention, experts project this figure could rise to 10 million deaths per year by 2050—surpassing current mortality from cancer. This isn’t a distant, theoretical problem. It’s happening now, in hospitals and communities across India and the world.
How did we arrive at this point? The answer lies not in the failure of medical science, but in how we’ve used—and misused—these precious medicines.
Consider the common cold. Most people understand intellectually that antibiotics don’t work against viral infections. Yet the pressure to prescribe them remains intense. A parent with a sick child, a patient who has travelled to the clinic, a doctor with limited time—these human factors conspire to produce prescriptions that may be unnecessary. Each such instance gives bacteria an opportunity to adapt.
Then there’s the matter of incomplete treatment courses. When symptoms improve after a few days, it’s tempting to stop taking medication. What many don’t realise is that the remaining bacteria are precisely those strong enough to have survived the initial assault. By halting treatment prematurely, we’re essentially selecting for resistance.
The agricultural sector presents another dimension of this problem. A significant proportion of antimicrobials produced globally go not to human medicine, but to livestock farming—often to promote growth rather than treat illness. This creates vast reservoirs where resistant bacteria can flourish and eventually make their way into the human population.
Yet this crisis, dire as it sounds, is not inevitable. Unlike many health challenges, antimicrobial resistance is largely human-caused, which means it’s human-solvable. The solutions require commitment at multiple levels—from policy-makers and healthcare systems down to individual patients—but they’re achievable.
Use antimicrobials only when genuinely necessary. Complete prescribed courses fully. Maintain good hygiene to prevent infections in the first place. Support vaccination programmes. These aren’t complex interventions requiring new technology; they’re sensible practices we can implement immediately.
As World Antimicrobial Awareness Week begins, it’s worth reflecting on our own relationship with these medicines. When did you last take antibiotics? Were they prescribed by a qualified doctor? Did you complete the full course?
The wonder drugs that transformed medicine in the 20th century remain effective—for now. Whether they continue to serve future generations depends largely on the choices we make today.
(The writers is a Consultant Microbiologist & Infection Control Officer, Bethany Hospital, Shillong)
