India, May 7 -- Every year, antibiotic resistance - the failure of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections - kills more people in India than in any other country. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Washington, drug-resistant infections were directly responsible for 267,000 deaths in India in 2021, and were associated with nearly a million more. Failing antibiotics are a catastrophe unfolding in hospital wards from Vellore to Varanasi, and one that will worsen considerably if India does not change course.

The standard response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) focuses on restricting antibiotic use, including better prescribing practices, tighter pharmacy regulations, and reduced over-the-counter sales...