MBBS Curriculum Needs Overhaul To Curb Rising Antibiotic Misuse, Say Experts

Mumbai: With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerging as a mounting threat to public health, infectious disease specialists have urged a critical shift in medical education—training young doctors in how not to prescribe antibiotics. This proposal took center stage at the 15th annual conference of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society (CIDSCON 2025), currently underway at the NCPA in Mumbai.

Over three days, leading experts from across India debated strategies to tackle AMR, warning that unchecked and irrational antibiotic use is rapidly eroding their effectiveness. “India urgently needs a stronger MBBS curriculum and more effective anti-infectives to combat AMR,” said CIDS Vice President Dr. Subramanian Swaminathan. He noted that the government is actively considering integrating infection control into medical training. “The next generation of doctors must learn this not only to protect patients but also to safeguard themselves,” he added.

The impact is already visible across multiple diseases. According to Dr. Vasant Nagvekar, Secretary, CIDS, drug resistance is complicating tuberculosis treatment, while even tropical infections such as dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis are harder to manage. “Every infection requires a specific antibiotic and a carefully tailored protocol. The right drug for the right organism must always be the rule,” he emphasized, calling antibiotic stewardship the need of the hour. He added, “Around 60%–70% of resistance to third-generation sepsis occurs in India. AMR is a growing challenge across lower- and middle-income nations, but for India it is an urgent crisis.”

Economic Drivers of Misuse

Experts also pointed to systemic and economic reasons behind misuse. ICMR senior scientist Dr. Kamini Walia observed that antibiotics are often cheaper than diagnostic tests, leading doctors to prescribe them without adequate investigations. “This is where education and awareness become critical. Both medical professionals and the public must be sensitized about responsible antibiotic use,” she said.

The specialists agreed that tackling AMR demands a multi-pronged approach—strengthening medical education, enforcing treatment guidelines, instituting strict stewardship programs, and running broad awareness campaigns. Without immediate corrective steps, they warned, the effectiveness of antibiotics—the backbone of modern medicine—could be severely compromised, turning routine infections into far more dangerous conditions in the future.

Global Health Forecasts Raise Alarm

AMR has now become a major public health concern, with forecasts predicting 10 million deaths annually worldwide by 2050. Resistance develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites stop responding to antimicrobial treatment, allowing harmful pathogens to survive. The key driver behind this crisis remains the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, particularly inappropriate prescriptions.