SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
The World Health Organization in 2025 released its guidance Country preparedness for the introduction and appropriate use of antibiotics, developed under the SECURE initiative with the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP). The framework provides step-by-step operational guidance for ministries, regulators, and health systems to introduce new and critical antibiotics responsibly, particularly those in the WHO AWaRe “Watch” and “Reserve” categories.
The report underscores the urgency: in 2021, 1.14 million deaths worldwide were attributed to drug-resistant infections, with limited access to “last-resort” antibiotics in many low- and middle-income countries. Since 2017, only 16 new antibacterials have been approved globally, reflecting a weak pipeline. WHO stresses that antibiotic introduction must be paired with diagnostics, stewardship programmes, surveillance systems, and governance mechanisms to prevent resistance from accelerating.
For India, which faces high antimicrobial resistance and uneven antibiotic access, this guidance offers a roadmap to strengthen stewardship, align procurement with evidence-based priorities, and ensure new antibiotics are introduced with safeguards that protect both access and effectiveness.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India adapt WHO’s stepwise framework to balance urgent access to life-saving antibiotics with long-term stewardship against resistance?
Follow the full news here: WHO Report – Country preparedness for the introduction and appropriate use of antibiotics (2025)