The problem of antimicrobial resistance is a threat to global health security and cut across various sectors in the country. Examine (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 4 years
KEY POINTS
· Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the phenomenon by which bacteria and fungi evolve and become resistant to presently available medical treatment, is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
· World Health Organization, AMR is already responsible for up to 7,00,000 deaths a year.
· AMR represents an existential threat to modern medicine. Neonatal and maternal mortality will increase.
Reasons for Anti-microbial resistance
· These include the misuse of antimicrobials in medicine, inappropriate use in agriculture, and contamination around pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The way forward
· A multi-sectoral $1 billion AMR Action Fund was launched in 2020 to support the development of new antibiotics, and the U.K. is trialling a subscription-based model for paying for new antimicrobials towards ensuring their commercial viability.
· Peru’s efforts on patient education to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
· Australian regulatory reforms to influence prescriber behaviour, and initiatives to increase the use of point-of-care diagnostics.
· Denmark’s reforms to prevent the use of antibiotics in livestock have not only led to a significant reduction in the prevalence of resistant microbes in animals, but also improved the efficiency of farming.
· Current initiatives largely target individual issues related to AMR and consequently, narrowly defined groups of stakeholders.
· This means that AMR must no longer be the remit solely of the health sector, but needs engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, representing agriculture, trade and the environment with solutions that balance their often-competing interests.
