VIJAYAWADA: AIIMS Mangalagiri, in collaboration with the Society for Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in India (SASPI), hosted the National Annual Conference ASPICON 2025 from September 4 to 7 under the theme ‘Asserting AMR Awareness’.
The event began with eight pre-conference workshops at AIIMS Mangalagiri on September 4, followed by a three-day conference in Vijayawada. It was attended by over 400 delegates and 100 speakers.
The conference addressed India’s growing challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which continues to worsen due to misuse of antibiotics, over-the-counter availability, tropical infections, and gaps in the One Health approach. Experts noted that many infections are now caused by bacteria resistant to common drugs, resulting in higher rates of morbidity and mortality from both hospital- and community-acquired infections.
A major highlight of ASPICON 2025 was the release of the “AIIMS Mangalagiri Declaration,” a 42-point Integrated Antimicrobial Stewardship (IAS) Practice Guidance. Developed through a rigorous Delphi model by national experts, the declaration lays the foundation for making Antimicrobial Stewardship a mandatory accreditation requirement for all hospitals in India. SASPI announced plans to collaborate with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to adopt the declaration as a national accreditation standard for hospital stewardship practices.
The declaration was formally released on September 5 by senior healthcare leaders, including Dr. Atul Goel, former DGHS, Prof. (Dr.) Ahanthem Santa Singh, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Mangalagiri, and senior members of SASPI.
The conference featured plenary lectures, symposia, interactive case discussions, poster sessions, and showcases of cutting-edge diagnostics and stewardship technologies.