Stepping up work on developing a State action plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Karnataka’s Health Department has set out a strategic implementable roadmap to combat AMR. The action plan has been pending for nearly five years.
The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is observed from November 18 to November 24. “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together” is the theme for WAAW 2023.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who inaugurated a State-level sensitisation workshop for health officials on Tuesday, said Karnataka will adopt a “one health approach” by involving various stakeholders in its efforts to check AMR.
“The State action plan will not merely be restricted to listing priorities and objectives but will also set out a strategic implementable roadmap to combat AMR in Karnataka,” the Minister said.
AMR, declared by the UN as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity, occurs when pathogens change over time and stop responding to medicines, making infections harder to treat. Overexposing pathogens to antimicrobial drugs due to abuse, misuse and/or overuse, enables the pathogens to acquire resistance against the drug.
India epicentre of global AMR crisis
Swetavalli Raghavan, One Health expert who is advising Karnataka’s Health Department on developing the action plan, said India is considered as the epicentre of the global AMR crisis, with unprecedented antimicrobial consumption, production, and “misuse.”
Making a presentation on “Decoding AMR” at the workshop, Ms. Raghavan said the battle against AMR requires a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders. “To make the action plan deliverable, comprehensive strategies that focus on responsible antibiotic use, education, and surveillance should be implemented. Improved infection control and prevention programmes including vaccination against multi-drug resistance bugs and sub-area wise vaccination profiles should be created to feed into surveillance systems,” she said.
Asserting the importance of a cross-departmental animal health plan, Ms. Raghavan said: “Tracking and reporting on major animal disease events through an early warning system and responding to disease outbreaks with a crisis management centre for animal health are important. This will cut down on the use of antimicrobials in animals and is more cost effective.”
“Tighter regulation and responsible dispensing of drugs is vital. This is to ensure antibiotics are dispensed only with valid prescriptions thereby discouraging over the counter medications,” she added.
