Culture meets science to raise awareness on antimicrobial resistance
New Delhi, June 29
A Scottish musical is using the power of storytelling and live performance to warn of the public health risk from antimicrobial resistance, the British High Commission announced on Sunday.
The British High Commission hosted the India premiere of Lifeline, with a multi-city tour of the full production earmarked in India for 2027.
AMR arises when medicines stop working against infections, posing a serious and growing threat to public health worldwide.
Organised at the British Council in New Delhi, the premiere of the 60-minute performance by West End and Broadway artists brought together senior figures from the Indian Government, philanthropy, industry, academia, and the healthcare sector, according to the British High Commission.
Sarah Cooper, Minister Counsellor and Director for Climate, Development, Science and Technology, British High Commission, said, "Drug-resistant infections pose a serious and growing threat to people in both our countries and across the world. The UK and India have been working shoulder to shoulder on this challenge for years, investing in research, strengthening laboratories, developing new diagnostics, and building the evidence base we need to act.
"This fantastic musical really shows that tackling this issue is not just a matter for scientists and policymakers, it is a conversation that belongs to all of us. By bringing the world-class performance to New Delhi, we are taking that message to new audiences in a way that is bold, creative, and genuinely moving. I am proud of the partnership we have built, and I look forward to seeing it grow."
Technology and innovation, including healthcare, is a priority under UK-India Vision 2035.
Under this flagship tech partnership, the British High Commission noted that AMR sits at the heart of our shared commitment to pandemic preparedness and our joint work on vaccines, recognising that tackling drug-resistant infections is essential to protecting both our populations from future health threats.
UK-India collaboration to tackle AMR spans research, innovation, diagnostics, laboratory strengthening, and surveillance across human health, animals, and the environment.
The British High Commission highlighted that this includes over 10 million pounds sterling invested by UK Research and Innovation through multiple research programmes, as well as the Fleming Fund, which has invested around 600,000 pounds sterling in laboratory strengthening and surveillance in India.
A further 4.8 million pounds sterling partnership between the UK's Global Innovation Fund for drug resistance and Bengaluru's Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms focuses specifically on environmental threats, supporting innovations such as new tools to remove antibiotic residues from wastewater and cutting-edge portable devices for monitoring resistance in the field.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting approach. But with multi-city tour planned for 2027, that's quite far away. AMR is a here-and-now problem. We need faster action, both from UK and India on this. Still, kudos for using art.
Finally, some cultural diplomacy with substance! UK-India collaboration on AMR, vaccines, and pandemic preparedness is exactly the kind of partnership that benefits both countries. The 10 million pounds investment in research is promising. Let's hope these translate to real policy changes.
Musical in Delhi? That's unusual but welcome! We need more such out-of-the-box thinking. The audience mix - government, pharma, academia - is spot on. AMR is a silent pandemic; this might just make noise.
Impressive to see UK and India working on this since 2035 vision plan. But the 600,000 pounds for lab strengthening seems small compared to need. And 2027 tour is too late - antibiotic resistance is killing people now. Good effort, but we need urgency. 😕
Lifeline - what a fitting name! The idea that tackling AMR isn't just for scientists but for all of us is powerful. The portable device for monitoring resistance in wastewater mentioned in the Bengaluru partnership is a game-changer. Make in India meets global innovation!
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