Facing flak for being the antibiotics capital of the world, India has finally prepared a draft action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) envisaging a five-pronged strategy including education and training besides reducing infection through prevention and control to tackle the health crisis.
Caused by misuse and overuse of antibiotics in the medical and livestock industry where it is used to make animals gain weight, AMR makes microbes resistant to the drugs that treat them. It is a worldwide problem, but experts have warned that India’s excessive antibiotic usage is now leading to a powerful never-before-seen mutation within bacteria.
In this backdrop, the Draft NAP-AMR is expected to pave way for a protocol for rational drug use and antibiotic stewardship in the country to be supported with the necessary regulatory framework, as was also stated by CK Mishra, Health Secretary at an event on the issue organised by Neeti Foundation, an independent think tank , last December.
A high-level meeting will be held on April 10 wherein all the stakeholders will further deliberate the draft NAP-AMR, which is likely to be finalized on April 19 at another meeting.
The strategic objectives of the draft NAP-AMR which have been reviewed extensively by various stakeholders including ministries of Health, Animal Husbandry, Environment and Pharmaceuticals are aligned with the global action plan based on national needs and priorities, an official said.
With a timeline period of one year, between one and three years and between three and five years, six strategic priorities have been identified under the NAP-AMR including improving awareness and understanding of AMR through effective communication, education and training, strengthening knowledge and evidence through surveillance.
Reducing the incidence of infection through effective prevention and control, optimizing the use of antimicrobial agents in health, animals and food, promoting investments for AMR activities, research and innovations and strengthening India’s leadership on AMR are among other measures in this direction.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Arun Mehta too acknowledges that besides measures to check pollutants and effluents undertaken by the government there is also a need to “develop clear norms on pharma effluent standards and re-examine the issue vis-à-vis the rising concern of AMR”.
Experts say that convergence of factors such as poor public health infrastructure, rising incomes, a high burden of disease, and cheap, unregulated sales of antibiotics have created ideal conditions for a rapid rise in resistant infections in India.
Improving regulation of drug production and sales, better managing of physician compensation, and encouraging behaviour change among doctors and patients are of immediate priority, they add.