The Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI), a PATH affiliate, has launched the AMR Safe Disposal Innovation Challenge 2026 in collaboration with GSK Cares, the company’s CSR initiative.

The challenge has been publicly announced as a national call for scalable, field-ready solutions to promote the safe disposal of unused and expired antibiotics. 

The nationwide challenge invites students, researchers, innovators, and startups across India to develop practical community-level models that prevent antibiotics from being discarded in household waste or flushed into water systems—two major pathways that accelerate the spread of AMR.

Improper disposal of antibiotics allows active drug residues to seep into soil and water ecosystems, increasing the risk of resistant microbes emerging in the environment. With AMR already one of the most pressing global public health threats, the initiative aims to spotlight this often-overlooked issue while encouraging solutions feasible in real-world Indian settings.

Participants can submit ideas across multiple solution tracks, including safe antibiotic collection and disposal systems,; community-led awareness and behaviour change models; eco-friendly disposal mechanisms; and digital platforms that improve access to disposal points and reporting

According to the challenge framework, selected innovations will move toward pilot deployment in select districts of Maharashtra, giving shortlisted teams an opportunity to validate their concepts in live community environments. 

Winning participants will also receive expert mentorship in antimicrobial resistance, digital health, and public health implementation while retaining full ownership of their intellectual property, making the programme especially attractive for early-stage startups and academic innovators.

Entries will be judged on innovation, feasibility, scalability, and measurable public health impact, with the broader objective of building sustainable community behaviour around responsible antibiotic disposal.