• The study used the six-year data set (from Jan 2017 to Dec 2022) from the Indian Council of Medical Research Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (IAMRSN).

• The results revealed a global health threat of escalating levels of antimicrobial resistance.

• Associations between higher antibiotic resistance and lower Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) achievements were established.

• The AMR trends in pathogen groups such as gram-negative, gram-positive organisms, Enterobacteriaceae were identified.

• An AMR scorecard for targeted interventions based on demographics was proposed.

• Cefotaxime resistance emerged as a potential early indicator for emerging carbapenem resistance, suggesting a novel surveillance marker; thus,  ‘indicator antibiotics’ were introduced.

• The following recommendations were made:

1. Implement proactive surveillance of AMR to align with WHO GLASS standards.

2. Vigilantly monitor escalating carbapenem resistance.

3. Tailor treatment guidelines based on demographics.

4. Develop targeted interventions using AMR scorecards.

5. Emphasize associations between AMR and SDG to help in policymaking.

Click here to read more.