Antimicrobial resistance, a condition in which pathogenic bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics, is known to claim millions of lives annually.
Addressing the gaps identified in the first National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday launched the second version of the government's plan to tackle the growing health crisis in the country.
Antimicrobial resistance, a condition in which pathogenic bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics, is known to claim millions of lives annually. Last month, World Health Organization highlighted worrying trends. The UN agency noted that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotic treatments, calling for the medicines to be used more responsibly.
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In India alone, between 3 and 10.4 lakh people died in 2019 due to bacterial AMR, based on the research findings of the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.
According to a report published by The Lancet in September last year, over 39 crore deaths worldwide are likely to be caused directly or indirectly by antimicrobial-resistant infections by 2050.
Addressing the shortcomings of the previous plan, the latest version will focus on boosting the inter-sectoral coordination owing to the rampant use of antibiotics across several areas, including human, animal, agriculture, and environment.
To integrate the World Health Organisation's 'One Health' approach into the next action plan -- and given the multisectoral nature of AMR -- the government began developing NAP-AMR 2.0 in 2022. The process included a series of stakeholder consultations across the human health and research sectors, professional associations, civil society organisations, and the environment and animal husbandry sectors.
The new plan will also concentrate on enhancing the engagement with the private sector, the minister noted. He further stressed the importance of increasing awareness, education, and training as key strategies for preventing AMR spread.
Highlighting the gravity of the challenge, Nadda stated that AMR poses significant risks, particularly in surgical procedures, cancer treatment, and other critical healthcare interventions. He added that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics has unfortunately become common practice, underscoring the urgency of corrective measures.
To prevent the surge of infections, the minister highlighted the need to expand the laboratory capacity and infection control in healthcare facilities.
Recognising AMR as a national priority, the Government of India in 2010 established a National Task Force on AMR Containment. Within a year, the National policy on AMR containment was rolled out in 2011. Later in April 2017, the Health Ministry unveiled the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) developed in alignment with the Global Action Plan (GAP), which was to be implemented over the next 5 years, until 2021.