Sepsis deaths occur when one's immune system has a dangerous reaction to a bacterial infection and without treatment, can lead to organ failure. (Representational)
When a 60-year-old patient with leukaemia was admitted to the emergency department with high fever and low blood pressure, he was immediately started on broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, the drugs didn’t work, complicating his condition. A blood culture later revealed a drug-resistant Klebsiella infection, which required a combination of drugs to bring it under control.
“The patient’s condition deteriorated because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a condition where bacteria and parasites become resistant to medicines that were previously effective against them,” said Dr Abdul Ghafur, infectious diseases expert at Apollo Hospital, Chennai.
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Overuse or wrongful use of antibiotics is exacting a toll on the health of Indians, with a latest Lancet study showing that 60 per cent of the 29.9 lakh sepsis deaths in the country in 2019 were caused by bacterial infection.
Of this, nearly 10.4 lakh sepsis deaths (33.4 per cent) were linked to bacterial AMR that year, with 2.9 lakh sepsis deaths directly attributable to it. Sepsis deaths occur when one’s immune system has a dangerous reaction to a bacterial infection and without treatment, can lead to organ failure.
WHAT’S THE STATUS OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)?
“AMR is the result of overuse of antibiotics earlier in the patient’s lifetime or wrongful use. With rising rates of drug-resistant bacteria in India, treatment options are becoming increasingly limited, posing a public health challenge,” said Dr Ghafur.
Already widely recognised as a major global health challenge, AMR is anticipated to worsen in the coming decades with Lancet predicting that more than 39 million people around the world could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years.The report, based on a new study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, is the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends over time.
“Understanding how trends in AMR deaths have changed over time, and how they are likely to shift in future, is vital to make informed decisions to help save lives,” said study author Dr Mohsen Naghavi, Team Leader of the AMR Research Team at the Institute of Health Metrics (IHME), University of Washington, USA.
Estimates for the study came from 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen-drug combinations and 11 infectious syndromes (including meningitis, bloodstream infections, and other infections) among people of all ages in 204 countries and territories, including India.
WHY IS THE STUDY RELEVANT FOR INDIA?
The three most common resistant pathogens in India are e.coli, which can cause gut infections; Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections; and Acinetobacter baumannii, which is mainly associated with hospital acquired infections.
According to Dr Ghafur, AMR happens because of indiscriminate use of antibiotics over the counter. Many do not follow the prescribed dose as advised by the doctor, abandoning them midway, or use them for similar symptoms that may arise later, ignoring the doctor’s advisory. Lack of diagnostics at the local level to identify the disease-causing bacteria means broad spectrum antibiotics are prescribed, which do not target the specific bacteria.
“Rational antibiotic use requires adequate laboratory infrastructure to guide decision-making, such as determining whether antibiotics are necessary and identifying the appropriate antibiotic when they are.
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Unfortunately, access to such diagnostic facilities is often limited, especially in resource-constrained settings… Inadequate sanitation leads to the spread of infections, which in turn drives the demand for antibiotics and contributes to resistance,” Dr Ghafur said. In some industries, like aquaculture, antibiotics are used to save on production losses, so they enter your system through food.
WHAT ARE RESISTANT BUGS?
The Lancet study shows that lower respiratory infections and related infections in the thorax accounted for most cases of sepsis deaths in India – about 27 per cent of the total.
Of the five lakh deaths due to sepsis in children under five in 2019, 3.25 lakh children succumbed to bacterial infection. The deadliest bacterial infection among children under five was streptococcus pneumoniae.
Deaths due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) increased the most globally, leading directly to 130,000 deaths in 2021 – more than double the from 57,200 deaths in 1990. Among gram-negative bacteria – some of the most resistant to antimicrobial drugs – resistance to carbapenems increased more than any other type of antibiotic, from 127,000 in 1990 to 216,000 in 2021.
In India, the drug-bug combination with the highest fatal risk was the aminopenicillin-resistant E.coli. At least 6.8 lakh deaths were associated with six leading drug-resistant pathogens.
“A robust and enforceable framework for infection control, alongside mandatory public reporting of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by all accredited hospitals, is crucial for transparency and accountability. By doing so, we can monitor progress and identify gaps in care delivery,” said Dr Ghafur, adding that investments in new antibiotics and rapid point-of-care diagnostics are also essential to combat sepsis and other life-threatening infections.
Dr Kamini Walia, programme officer of AMR and senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said the government is already investing in improving laboratory infrastructure and now it is mandatory to provide culture facilities in district hospitals.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .
Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”
Professional Background
Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.
Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.
Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care
"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
``Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.
2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)
"Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.
"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.
3. Lifestyle & Wellness News
"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.
``At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.
4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure
"For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.
``Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.
Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership
Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions
X (Twitter): @runaanu
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