Wastewater surveillance: The missing link in India’s battle for AMR

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to public health systems, threatening medical progress. The National Action Plan on AMR aims to reduce its impact, but integrating wastewater surveillance (WWS) is crucial. Unregulated antibiotic usage in India could lead to 10 million deaths annually by 2050, increasing healthcare costs and causing productivity losses. Addressing AMR is crucial for public health and economic stability. Traditional surveillance methods, such as tertiary care hospital data, are insufficient. WWS, or wastewater-based epidemiology, involves collecting sewage water to detect pathogens and identify community trends.