Syllabus :GS 2/Health
In News
- Experts have raised concerns about the overuse of the potent antibiotic ceftazidime-avibactam, leading to reduced efficacy and increased drug resistance.
- The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) was urged to establish strict regulations to prevent misuse.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- Antimicrobials (including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics) are used to treat infections in humans, animals, and plants.
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when pathogens no longer respond to these medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, illness, disability, and death.
- AMR is a natural process but is accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and plants.
Concerns
- India has one of the highest burdens of bacterial infections in the world.
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health crisis that threatens the effectiveness of antibiotics, leading to longer hospital stays, intensive care, and higher mortality rates.
- It is a complex issue influenced by factors such as overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture, along with inadequate infection control and sanitation.
- Socio-economic factors like poverty and lack of clean water further exacerbate the problem.
Efforts Made by India
- India is actively addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through expanded genomic surveillance and collaboration between key government bodies like Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- Recent breakthroughs, such as novel antibiotics like cefepime-enmetazobactam, cefepime-zidebactam, nafithromycin, and levodifloxacin, offer new treatment options for multidrug-resistant pathogens.
- These developments help reduce reliance on last-resort antibiotics like carbapenems and colistin.
- The Red Line Campaign was launched to create a public awareness drive to label prescription-only antibiotics with a red line.
- ICMR promotes Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASPs) in hospitals.
Conclusion and Way Forward
- India is leveraging its strong biotech ecosystem, high burden of infectious diseases, and capacity for affordable manufacturing to address the urgent need for new antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- By combining these strengths, India can accelerate its AMR fight and improve global access, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
- India’s success in this fight will depend on harnessing innovation across healthcare, governance, and society.
- By implementing the right policies, infrastructure, and supporting entrepreneurs, India can lead the global effort against AMR, setting an example for the world in tackling this critical public health threat.
- The use of antibiotics in food and animal production should be optimized, and there should be more careful consideration in using antimicrobial treatments.
Source:TH
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