Pledges to adopt a holistic and collaborative approach towards prevention and containment of antimicrobial resistance
JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare announced the finalisation of India’s comprehensive and multi-sectoral national action plan to contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the recently held ‘Inter-Ministerial Consultation on AMR containment’ in New Delhi. Ram Vila Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Anupriya Patel, MoS (Health & Family Welfare) were also present on the occasion. The Ministers signed a ‘Delhi Declaration’ for collectively strategising to contain AMR. It pledges to adopt a holistic and collaborative approach towards prevention and containment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India. It calls on all stakeholders including UN, WHO, FAO and other UN agencies, civil society organisations etc., to support the development and implementation of the national and state action plans on AMR.
Nadda highlighted, “Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society and is driven by many interconnected factors. Single, isolated interventions have limited impact and coordinated action is required to minimise the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.”
He further added that the action plan has been prepared through extensive national consultations with various stakeholders. “In alignment with global action plan, India’s action plan has objectives of enhancing awareness, strengthening surveillance, improving rational use of antibiotics, reducing infections and promoting research. In addition, India aims to support neighbouring countries in collective fight against infectious diseases,” Nadda elaborated.
Acknowledging the progress made by the government in combating AMR, Nadda said that Health Ministry has taken a lead in this effort at international fora and has initiated series of actions including setting up a National Surveillance System for AMR, enacted regulations (Schedule-H-1) to regulate sale of antibiotics, brought out National Guidelines for use of antibiotics etc.
CK Mishra, Secretary (H&FW), Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Secretary (DHR) and DG (ICMR), Dr (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Prof K Vijay Raghavan, Secretary (DBT) and Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India and other senior officers of the Health Ministry were present along with representatives from Ministries of Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Information and Broadcasting, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Water and Sanitation, AYUSH, Food Processing Industries, ICMR, NCDC.