Centre launches updated plan to curb misuse of antibiotics, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Union Health Minister launched the second version of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) (2025–29) on Tuesday.
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses risks in surgeries, cancer treatment, and healthcare interventions.
• NAP-AMR 2.0 aims to address gaps by increasing ownership of AMR efforts and improving coordination.

Detailed Insights:

• Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
• The plan aims to tackle the overuse and misuse of antibiotics which are major drivers of antimicrobial resistance.
• Inter-sectoral coordination and engagement with the private sector are crucial components of the updated action plan.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): The ability of a microorganism to resist the effects of an antimicrobial drug.
• Antibiotics: Medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections.