Ayurveda’s Role in Tackling Deadly Superbugs in India: Experts Warn of High Child Mortality

New Delhi: Experts gathered at the Global Ayurveda Festival sounded the alarm: India’s battle against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is costing the lives of one child every nine minutes due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At the forefront of this crisis, Prof. Thomas Rampp, an integrative medicine expert, highlighted the overuse of antibiotics as the leading cause of AMR.

The overprescribing of antibiotics, incomplete treatments, and their widespread use in livestock and fish farming contribute to this looming threat. Rampp cautioned that while the US and Europe also face this issue, the risk looms larger over countries in Asia and Latin America.

This isn’t a recent problem—penicillin resistance surfaced in 1940 despite its use since 1928. The absence of new antibiotics in the last three decades has compounded the crisis. However, hope lies in traditional medicine like Ayurveda, focusing on immunity and a balanced diet to prevent illnesses and curb unnecessary antibiotic use.

Subarna Roy from Karnataka’s ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Institute highlighted regional differences in antibiotic resistance, with rising diseases like diphtheria in certain Indian areas. A network monitoring India’s AMR situation identified about 10 dangerous pathogens.

The Global Ayurveda Festival emphasized Ayurveda’s potential in combatting AMR. Former Kerala Health Minister V S Sivakumar stressed Ayurveda’s relevance and its fusion with modern research methods, foreseeing a promising future. The event, a collaboration between CISSA, the Ministry of Ayush, and Kerala’s government, concluded on a hopeful note, striving for a healthier, AMR-resilient India.