perhaps the most dangerous long-term threat. WHO data indicates that one in three bacterial infections in India involves resistant organisms — double the global average. Resistance levels are especially high in intensive care units.
Unregulated antibiotic sales, self-medication, incomplete treatment, pharmaceutical pollution and weak enforcement drive this crisis. Kerala’s success in reducing community-level resistance through stewardship programmes shows that policy can work — but replication requires political commitment and resources.
Pharmaceutical Safety and Erosion of Trust
The most disturbing failure of 2025 was the death of children from contaminated cough syrup containing diethylene glycol. Coming after earlier international scandals, this tragedy exposed deep regulatory lapses.
For a country aspiring to be the “pharmacy of the world”, repeated quality failures undermine global credibility and domestic trust. Regulation, inspection and accountability must match manufacturing scale — otherwise growth becomes a liability rather than a strength.
Why Health Reform Cannot Wait
India’s health challenges are deeply interconnected. Underfunding weakens surveillance; pollution amplifies chronic disease; poor regulation endangers patients; and antimicrobial resistance threatens to undo decades of medical progress.
As 2026 approaches, marginal increases and isolated fixes will not suffice. India needs a decisive shift: higher public health spending, stronger pharmaceutical oversight, tighter antibiotic stewardship, and coordinated action on air quality.
Conclusion
The promise of “health for all” remains within reach, but only if health is treated as a core national investment rather than a discretionary expense. A healthy population is not merely a social objective — it is the foundation of economic growth, resilience and national security. The lessons of 2025 are clear: delay will only raise the cost of reform, in lives as well as livelihoods.
Month: Current Affairs - December 30, 2025
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