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India Today
5 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Superbugs are spreading as India faces gaps in drug supply, access to treatment
While antibiotics are being overused in some places, leading to the rise of deadly superbugs, in other parts of the world, people are dying because they can't access these life-saving drugs at all.A study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, was led by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), a non-profit that works to improve access to antibiotics, looked at nearly 1.5 million cases of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacteria across eight low- and middle-income countries, including India, Brazil, and South bacteria are dangerous because they are resistant to "last-line" antibiotics. These are medicines that are used when all others fail. Yet, the study found that only 6.9% of patients in these countries received the right CARRIES THE HEAVIEST BURDENIndia had the largest number of cases among all countries studied. It also procured 80% of the full antibiotic courses examined. But despite this, only 7.8% of people with CRGN infections received the proper points to a gap between drug supply and actual access to treatment.A full course of antibiotics means the complete number of doses a patient must take to fully fight off an infection. The study found that only 6.9% of patients in 8 countries, including India, received the right treatment. () advertisementMissing out on even a part of this treatment makes it less effective and more dangerous in the long drug-resistant bacteria are commonly found in water, food, the environment, and even in our own bodies. They can cause serious infections like urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, and food babies, elderly people, and hospital patients are especially at risk, particularly those in intensive care units (ICUs).CRGN infections are tough to treat because the bacteria no longer responds to some of the most powerful antibiotics we have. This is where the crisis deepens: in places where these infections are rising, the drugs needed to treat them are either missing or too ACCESS CRISISFor years, the focus has been on the overuse of to Dr. Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director, the reality is that many people in low- and middle-income countries with deadly drug-resistant infections are "dying because they can't get the antibiotics they need," she was quoted by study looked at eight different intravenous antibiotics that are active against these resistant bacteria. Bacterial infections are tough to treat because the bacteriano longer responds to some of the most powerful antibiotics we have. () Tigecycline, one of the drugs in the study, was the most widely used. But even then, only about 1 lakh full courses were available across all eight countries, far fewer than the 1.5 million people who needed ARE PATIENTS MISSING OUT?As per the study, there are many reasons why patients don't receive the right could be because they aren't reaching the right hospital or clinic, not getting an accurate diagnosis, not able to access the correct antibiotics or there's a high cost of newer of these antibiotics are simply too expensive for the average patient in countries like India. Without better policies, price regulation, and access programs, millions will continue to suffer or die POLICIESThe experts said that two things are needed urgently: stronger rules to prevent misuse of antibiotics and better systems to make them affordable and available to those who truly need access alone isn't enough. The world is also facing a shrinking pipeline of new fewer companies investing in antibiotic research, the options for treating future infections are has one of the highest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the world. But researchers say the country also holds great potential to lead the global fight against drug-resistant infections. India has one of the highest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the world. () India's strong pharmaceutical sector is already leading efforts in antibiotic innovation. From developing new drugs to improving diagnostics, the country has a head suggest that India can further improve by gathering local data. This would help identify what's needed, where the gaps are, and how to fix them. Some states are already trying new instance, Kerala is using a "hub-and-spoke" system where smaller clinics get support from larger hospitals in treating complex solution is pooled procurement, where hospitals or states buy drugs together in bulk, reducing costs. This has worked for cancer medicines and could be tried for antibiotics the end, the battle against superbugs is not just about using antibiotics wisely, it's also about making sure they're within everyone's Reel
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
Deadly superbugs thrive as access to antibiotics falters in India
DELHI — It's a grim paradox, doctors say. On the one hand, antibiotics are being overused until they no longer work, driving resistance and fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs. On the other hand, people are dying because they can't access these life-saving drugs. A new study by the non-profit Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) looked at access to antibiotics for nearly 1.5 million cases of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) infections across eight major low- and middle-income countries, including India, Brazil and South Africa. CRGN bacteria are superbugs resistant to last-line antibiotics — yet only 6.9% of patients received appropriate treatment in the countries studied. India bore the lion's share of CRGN infections and treatment efforts, procuring 80% of the full courses of studied antibiotics but managing to treat only 7.8% of its estimated cases, the study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal reports. (A full drug course of antibiotics refers to the complete set of doses that a patient needs to take over a specific period to fully treat an infection.) Common in water, food, the environment and the human gut, Gram-negative bacteria cause infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia and food poisoning. They can pose a serious threat to newborns and the elderly alike. Especially vulnerable are hospital patients with weakened immunity, often spreading rapidly in ICUs and proving difficult - and sometimes impossible - to treat. Treating carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections is doubly difficult because those bacteria are resistant to some of the most powerful antibiotics."These infections are a daily reality across all age groups," says Dr Abdul Gaffar, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in India's Chennai city. "We often see patients for whom no antibiotic works — and they die."The irony is cruel. While the world tries to curb antibiotic overuse, a parallel tragedy plays out quietly in poorer nations: people dying from treatable infections because the right drugs are out of reach."For years, the dominant narrative has been that antibiotics are being overused, but the stark reality is that many people with highly drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," says Dr Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director and senior author of the study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the few available drugs, Tigecycline was the most widely blame the treatment gap on weak health systems and limited access to effective example, only 103,647 full treatment courses were procured of Tigecycline across eight countries — far short of the 1.5 million patients who needed them, the study found. This highlighted a major shortfall in the global response to drug-resistant prevents patients with drug-resistant infections in India from getting the right antibiotics?Physicians point to multiple barriers - reaching the right health facility, getting accurate diagnostic tests, and accessing effective drugs. Cost remains a major hurdle, with many of these antibiotics priced far beyond the reach of poorer patients."Those who can afford these antibiotics often overuse them; those who can't, don't get them at all," says Dr Gaffar. "We need a system that ensures access for the poor and prevents misuse by the well-to-do."To improve access, these drugs must be made more affordable. To prevent misuse, stronger regulation is key."Ideally, every antibiotic prescription in hospitals should require a second sign-off - by an infection specialist or microbiologist," says Dr Gaffar. "Some hospitals do this, but most don't. With the right oversight, regulators can ensure this becomes standard practice."To fix the access problem and curb misuse, both smarter policies and stronger safeguards are essential, say researchers. But access alone won't solve the crisis - the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. The decline in antibiotic R&D - and the limited availability of existing drugs - is a global bears one of the world's heaviest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but it may also hold the key to combating it - both at home and globally, researchers say."India is also one of the largest markets for new antibiotics and can successfully advocate for the development and access of new antibiotics," says Dr Cohn. With a strong pharmaceutical base, the country is emerging as a hub for AMR innovation, from promising new antibiotics to advanced Cohn says India can strengthen its antibiotic response by generating local data to better estimate needs and pinpoint gaps in the care would allow for more targeted interventions to improve access to the right models are already emerging - Kerala state, for instance, is using a "hub-and-spoke approach" to support lower-level facilities in managing serious infections. Coordinated or pooled procurement across hospitals or states could also reduce the cost of newer antibiotics, as seen with cancer drug programs, researchers access to the right antibiotics, modern medicine begins to unravel - doctors risk losing the ability to safely perform surgery, treat complications in cancer patients, or manage everyday infections."As an infectious disease doctor, I see appropriate use as one part - but only one part - of access," says Dr Gaffar. "When we get new antibiotics, it's important to save them on one hand - and save them for right patients."Clearly, the challenge is not just to use antibiotics wisely, but to ensure they reach those who need them most. — BBC
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Only 8% of bacterial infections in India treated appropriately in 2019: Lancet study
Only about 8% of bacterial infections detected in 2019 in India were treated appropriately, according to an analysis of low- and middle-income countries. Rising threat of drug-resistant infections Findings published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal show that in 2019, there were nearly 15 lakh bacterial infections resistant to carbapenems -- a common antibiotic -- across eight countries that were under study. Carbapenems are used for treating severe infections -- such as those acquired from being inside a hospital, where bacteria resistant to antibiotics are abundant. Of the 15 lakh bacterial infections, only over a lakh treatment courses were procured -- the resulting treatment gap meant that only 6.9% of the patients were treated appropriately, researchers, including those from the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Switzerland, found. Treatment gaps in low- and middle-income countries "India procured most of the treatment courses (80.5 per cent; 83,468 courses), with 7.8% of infections treated appropriately," the authors wrote. The eight countries that were part of the study included Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mexico. The most-procured antibiotic was tigecycline -- usually prescribed in hospitals for serious infections. Most of the 15 lakh infections were found to have occurred in South Asia, with over 10 lakh infections estimated to have occurred in India. Burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance and need for better action plans Antibiotic, or antimicrobial, resistance is emerging as a major public health, with a 2024 Lancet study projecting over 39 million around the world could die due to such infections in the coming 25 years -- most of these could occur in South Asia, it said. The study also estimated that over a million died every year during 1990-2021 from antibiotic resistance, in which disease-causing bacteria become immune to drugs developed to kill them, thereby rendering these drugs ineffective. For this study, data from a systematic analysis of the burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance from 1990 to 2021 -- named 'GRAM' study -- was analysed, along with that from a health-care database managed by IQVIA, a US-based life sciences company. The authors said the findings highlight the most recently available picture of the state of care for antimicrobial-resistant infections in the selected low- and middle-income countries. The results also underscore the need for meaningful action by global and national policy makers, the team said.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Antibiotic access crisis fuels spread of superbugs in poorer countries
Listen to article Less than 7% of people with severe drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are receiving the antibiotics they need, according to a new study that warns the shortfall is fuelling deaths and driving the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The research, published in "The Lancet Infectious Diseases", estimates nearly 1.5 million infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacteria occurred across eight countries in 2019, resulting in almost 480,000 deaths. Yet, just under 104,000 appropriate antibiotic courses were distributed, covering only 6.9% of cases on average—ranging from as low as 0.2% in Kenya to around 15% in Mexico and Egypt. "The stark reality is that most people with highly drug-resistant infections are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," said Dr Jennifer Cohn, global access director at the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GardP), which led the study. CRGN infections—found in pneumonia, bloodstream infections and complicated urinary tract infections—are increasingly common and difficult to treat. When left without effective drugs, they result in longer illness, higher death rates and greater risk of spreading resistant strains. Cohn and her colleagues argue that global attention has focused too heavily on antibiotic overuse, while underestimating the lack of access in poorer regions. 'Innovative drugs are being introduced in wealthy nations,' she said. 'But the highest burden is not there.' The researchers studied data from Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and South Africa. They matched estimated CRGN cases to sales data of eight effective antibiotics, revealing the large treatment gap. AMR, which occurs when bacteria evolve to resist treatment, is forecast to kill 1.9 million people a year by 2050 if left unchecked. The report calls for urgent global investment in equitable access, similar to the international push that brought HIV drugs to Africa. Barriers to access include limited hospital availability, high treatment costs, and lack of national procurement systems. 'We can't just focus on stewardship in poorer countries and innovation in rich ones,' said Cohn. 'We need both, everywhere, at the same time.'
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Business Standard
01-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Just 8% of bacterial infections in India treated aptly in 2019: Report
Only about eight per cent of bacterial infections detected in 2019 in India were treated appropriately, according to an analysis of low- and middle-income countries. Findings published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal show that in 2019, there were nearly 15 lakh bacterial infections resistant to carbapenems -- a common antibiotic -- across eight countries that were under study. Carbapenems are used for treating severe infections -- such as those acquired from being inside a hospital, where bacteria resistant to antibiotics are abundant. Of the 15 lakh bacterial infections, only over a lakh treatment courses were procured -- the resulting treatment gap meant that only 6.9 per cent of the patients were treated appropriately, researchers, including those from the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Switzerland, found. "India procured most of the treatment courses (80.5 per cent; 83,468 courses), with 7.8 per cent of infections treated appropriately," the authors wrote. The eight countries that were part of the study included Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mexico. The most-procured antibiotic was tigecycline -- usually prescribed in hospitals for serious infections. Most of the 15 lakh infections were found to have occurred in South Asia, with over 10 lakh infections estimated to have occurred in India. Antibiotic, or antimicrobial, resistance is emerging as a major public health, with a 2024 Lancet study projecting over 39 million around the world could die due to such infections in the coming 25 years -- most of these could occur in South Asia, it said. The study also estimated that over a million died every year during 1990-2021 from antibiotic resistance, in which disease-causing bacteria become immune to drugs developed to kill them, thereby rendering these drugs ineffective. For this study, data from a systematic analysis of the burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance from 1990 to 2021 -- named 'GRAM' study -- was analysed, along with that from a health-care database managed by IQVIA, a US-based life sciences company. The authors said the findings highlight the most recently available picture of the state of care for antimicrobial-resistant infections in the selected low- and middle-income countries. The results also underscore the need for meaningful action by global and national policy makers, the team said.
