Karnataka launches antimicrobial resistance surveillance program in collaboration with TIGS

The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Tata Institute for Genetic and Society, Bengaluru, aims to generate evidence that can inform public health interventions, antibiotic stewardship and policy decisions.

The Karnataka Health Department has launched a state-wide scientific surveillance program to map and monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns in all districts. The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaluru, aims to generate evidence that can inform public health interventions, antibiotic stewardship and policy decisions.

The initiative, aimed at identifying resistance trends, emerging microbial threats and geographic variation in antimicrobial resistance, involves systematic sample collection and analysis at selected surveillance sites across the state.

Acting Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, in a May 27 letter urging TIGS to work with the Department of Health, said antimicrobial resistance is emerging as one of the most significant global public health challenges with serious implications for health care delivery, patient outcomes and public health systems.

“Given the growing concern about AMR and the need for evidence-based interventions, the state government is keen to strengthen surveillance mechanisms to better understand antimicrobial resistance patterns across the state,” the minister said in the letter.

Scientific supervision

Swetavalli Raghavan, the state government’s adviser on antimicrobial resistance, who has been appointed as the initiative’s nodal coordinator, said the aim is to strengthen scientific oversight and enable evidence-based public health decision-making.

AMR increasingly reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics, leading to serious infections, prolonged hospitalization, higher health care costs and preventable mortality. “This initiative will generate robust scientific data to support policy formulation, strengthen preparedness and improve long-term health outcomes,” she said.

As part of the collaboration, TIGS will provide scientific and technical support for surveillance activities, including genomic surveillance and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), to obtain high-quality evidence of resistance patterns across Karnataka.

“I will work closely with TIGS on site selection, data collection, data set harmonization and analysis. The data obtained through the collaboration will be analyzed and translated into actionable intelligence through analysis, modeling and simulation. The findings are expected to support antimicrobial stockpile planning, enhance diagnostic access, guide antibiotic surveillance programs and aid targeted enforcement actions by drug inspectors,” said Dr. Raghavan The Dr.

Local AMR trends

The initiative is also expected to provide physicians with local resistance trends and prescribing information to improve treatment decisions. In addition, the data could help identify priority gaps and opportunities for researchers, start-ups and industry to develop new diagnostic, therapeutic and other solutions related to AMR.

Dr. Raghavan pointed out that India continues to face significant gaps in real-time surveillance and actionable intelligence on AMR, said Dr. Raghavan: “Karnataka now has an opportunity to build a scientifically rigorous, governance-integrated AMR surveillance ecosystem capable of informing rapid, evidence-based interventions. This initiative moves the AMR response beyond fragmented academic intelligence that can directly improve prepared public health policy and ultimately shape antibiotic intelligence to save lives.”

Robust tracking systems

Rakesh Mishra, director of TIGS, said robust surveillance systems are critical to understanding how antimicrobial resistance develops across communities and healthcare settings.

He said the partnership will combine advanced genomic tools and laboratory science with public health decision-making and create a framework that could help Karnataka respond more effectively to emerging threats of resistance while generating evidence for future innovation and policy action.

Dr. Mishra.

Published – 02 Jun 2026 21:57 IST