“When antibiotics are used without need, they lose their power.” A simple but powerful message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last Mann Ki Baat of 2025 brought the discussion on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) out of hospital corridors and into the public sphere. For decades, AMR has been discussed largely within scientific, clinical, and policy circles, while remaining invisible in mainstream political discourse. Historically, some of the most successful global public-health advances have followed visible and sustained political leadership. David Cameron, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, was an early high-profile political voice on AMR, and his actions helped shape global AMR policy. Modi’s emphasis aligns India with global health priorities at a time when drug-resistant infections threaten to reverse decades of medical progress.

Source: Indian Express January 16, 2026 01:45 UTC