How countries can curb antibiotic resistance
New Delhi, Sep 9 : The proliferation of disease-causing antibiotic resistant organisms is correlated with many social and environmental factors such as poor sanitation, unsafe water and higher corruption, a study published in the Lancet Planetary Health, has showed.
The study, led by researchers from the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (CDDEP), here, showed that better infrastructure and better governance were significantly associated with lower measures of antimicrobial resistance.
Good governance includes lower corruption, political stability, rule of law, and absence of violence; while infrastructure measures include sanitation, safe water, internet accessibility, urbanisation, and access to electricity.
Although the use of antibiotics is commonly known to drive the emergence and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance, the team found that antibiotic consumption was not significantly associated with higher antimicrobial resistance.
Reducing antibiotic consumption is insufficient to control antimicrobial resistance because contagion--the spread of resistant strains--seems to be the dominant factor, the researchers said.
"While reducing antibiotic consumption is important, we have to remember that resistance genes are already widely disseminated in the environment," said Ramanan Laxminarayan from the Centre.
"Preventing transmission of resistant pathogens through investments in improved water and sanitation, and primary healthcare are central to our ability to tackle antimicrobial resistance."
The study, based on economic and public health data from 73 countries, found that countries with higher corruption and less spending on public health infrastructure have higher rates of antibiotic resistance
"There are not magic bullets here," Laxminarayan said. "Any new antibiotic will run into the same challenges as existing ones and resistance will emerge rapidly unless we take the problems of improving the health system head on."
Thus, improving sanitation, increasing access to clean water, and ensuring good governance, plus increasing public health expenditures, all need to be addressed to reduce global antimicrobial resistance, the researchers said.
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Indians in US rush to schedule preterm deliveries ahead of Trump’s birthright citizenship order
With the February 19 deadline for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending automatic birthright citizenship fast approaching, Indian parents in the United States are scrambling to arrange preterm deliveries. The new order challenges the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all children born on U.S. soil, except for children of foreign diplomats.
The executive order impacts not only undocumented immigrants but also non-citizens legally residing in the U.S. on temporary visas, such as H-1B, L1, tourist, and student visas. Children born after February 19 to non-citizen parents will no longer qualify for automatic U.S. citizenship, disrupting long-term plans for thousands of families.
Indian-origin families, many of whom are awaiting green cards, are especially anxious. Some parents were counting on their children’s U.S. citizenship as a potential pathway to secure residency. Priya, an Indian woman expecting her baby in March, expressed her distress: “We’ve been waiting for green cards for six years. Our child being born here was the only way to secure stability. Now, we’re terrified of what’s to come.”
Maternity clinics and doctors are reporting an unusual spike in requests for preterm C-sections. Dr. SG Mukkala, an obstetrician in Texas, shared concerns over the health risks of preterm births, including underdeveloped lungs, feeding difficulties, and neurological complications. “I’ve spoken to 15-20 couples in the past two days, trying to explain the risks,” he said.
In New Jersey, Dr. SD Rama noted a surge in calls for early deliveries. “A seven-months pregnant woman came with her husband, asking to schedule a preterm birth, even though she isn’t due until March,” she revealed.
