many interconnected
factors. Single, isolated
interventions have limited
impact and coordinated
action is required to
minimize the emergence
and spread.” This was
stated by Mr J P Nadda,
Union Minister of Health
and Family Welfare at at
the ‘Inter-Ministerial
Consultation on AMR
containment’, on April 19,
2017 at New Delhi. The
Ministers later signed a
‘Delhi Declaration’ for
collectively strategizing to
contain AMR. It pledges to
adopt a holistic and
collaborative approach
towards prevention and
containment of AMR in
India.
The researchers
have estimated that
few interventions
that could together
reduce antibiotic
use in animals by up
to 80 percent.
AMR at the United
Nations General Assembly
recognized the
inappropriate use of these
drugs in animals as a
leading cause of rising
AMR. Therefore, steps are
also needed to stem the
antibiotics usage in dairy,
agriculture and fisheries
sector. The researchers
system and allocation of
have estimated that few
enough funds for
interventions that could
concerned authorities are
together reduce antibiotic
few of the immediate keys. use in animals by up to 80
At the broader level, it
percent. One is the
must include strong
regulations capping the
measures to stop over-the- use of antibiotics in farm
counter availability of
animals could achieve a 64
antibiotics, while
percent reduction in
strengthening and
consumption. Another is
enforcing legislation to
imposing a 50 percent
prevent the manufacture,
user fee on the price of
sale and distribution of
veterinary antibiotics to
substandard
antibiotics.
expLORing THe
reduce consumption by 31
These
measures
must
be
percent.
pOssiBLe
accompanied with
sOLUTiOns
“We must act decisively
campaigns to make
While the policy decisions
and we must act now, in a
behavioral and cultural
seems to gain steam, the
changes in prescribers and comprehensive manner, to
implementation matters in
patients so that antibiotics preserve antibiotic
the longer run. The
effectiveness,” says
are no longer considered
increase in awareness
the first treatment option. Ramanan Laxminarayan.
levels among consumers,
And we wouldn’t agree
Last year’s meeting on
better healthcare delivery
more.
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17