​Overcoming resistance, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The second National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has been introduced due to the slow implementation of the first version.
• In 2023, approximately one in three bacterial infections in India were resistant to commonly-used antibiotics.
• E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae show high resistance to critical antibiotics.
• The first National Action Plan raised awareness, but implementation suffered due to lack of collaboration with states.
• Kerala saw a slight drop in AMR levels after implementing its own policies.

Detailed Insights:

• India is disproportionately affected by AMR due to high infectious disease burden, overuse of antibiotics, and gaps in surveillance.
• AMR impacts human health and extends to veterinary practices, soil, water, agriculture, and aquaculture.
• The One Health approach integrates human, animal, and environmental health to address growing resistance.
• The first National Action Plan expanded the national surveillance program and banned Colistin as a growth factor in animal husbandry.
• The new policy aims to address overuse and misuse of antibiotics and strengthen the One Health approach with better state coordination.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): The ability of microorganisms to resist the effects of antimicrobial drugs.
• One Health: An integrated approach to health that considers human, animal, and environmental factors.
• Antibiotic Stewardship: Efforts to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed and used.