Antimicrobial Resistance 

• Antimicrobial resistance, also known as drug resistance, is the resistance acquired by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites against antimicrobial drugs that are used to treat infections.
• When the microorganisms become resistant to most antimicrobials they are often referred to as “superbugs” 
• According to WHO, AMR is responsible for 1.27 million deaths in a year. 

Causes of AMR 

• Genetic Mutations endow microbes with genes that enable them to resist antimicrobial agents. 
• Access to antibiotics without prescription, improper administration, and overconsumption can cause AMR in humans. 
• Antibiotics are commonly used for growth promotion in poultry. Here, drug-resistant bacteria found in meat have exposure to contaminated water and in this way, diseases that affect animals can pass to humans. 
• Untreated disposal of sewage in water bodies can lead to contamination of rivers with antimicrobial residues. 

Impact of AMR  

• AMR increases the health burden of nations leading to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. 
• Organ transplantations, chemotherapy, diabetes management, and surgeries become more dangerous without effective antibiotics for treatment of infections. 
• The economic impact of increasing AMR includes the loss of a productive workforce, leading to lowered national outputs. 
• It also endangers the achievement of Sustainable development goals (SDGs) 

Global Efforts to combat AMR 

• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week held annually is a global campaign that aims to increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance worldwide and to encourage best practices among the public, health workers, and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. 
• The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS), under the WHO supports a standardized approach to the collection, analysis, and sharing of data related to antimicrobial resistance at a global level to promote informed decision-making. 
• The AWaRe tool was developed by the WHO , classifies antibiotics into: Access— antibiotics used to treat the most common and serious infection, Watch— antibiotics available at all times in the healthcare system, Reserve— antibiotics to be used, sparingly and used only as a last resort. 

National Initiatives 

• The National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) focusing on One Health approach was launched in 2017 with the aim of promoting AMR containment. 
• AMR Surveillance Network aims to generate evidence and capture trends of drug-resistant infections in the country. 
• The Red line campaign is aimed at discouraging over-the-counter sales of antibiotics causing drug resistance for diseases including TB, malaria, HIV, etc. 

Why in news? 

• • A report released by the National centre for disease control revealed that 57 percent of prescribed antibiotics in India, have a high potential for causing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

• The survey also found rampant polypharmacy, the practice of handing out five or more medications to treat infections, which can cause AMR.

National centre for disease control

• The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), formerly the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), had its origin as the Central Malaria Bureau, established at Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909.
• It functions as the nodal agency in the country for disease surveillance facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases. 

In coordination with the State Governments, NCDC has the capacity and capability for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and rapid response to contain and combat outbreaks.