- Kerala State Antibiotic Policy( Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan), released by Chief Minister Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday. Kerala is the first state to initiate implementation of the National Action plan. This is a big bold start, but the tough road of implementation is ahead. The success will depend on the cooperation of all teams, promoting those stake holders who have sincere interest in the success of the action plan and keeping those with conflicts of interest away!Kerala will succeed…India will succeed in implementing the National Action Plan!!Please watch the video on the danger of over use of antibiotics creating antibiotic resistant superbug infections.https://www.facebook.com/brutindia/videos/324840068312954/
- Bureau of investigative journalism article on the danger of feeding animals with antibiotics to fatten them.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/revealed-worlds-largest-animal-drugs-company-sells-antibiotics/
- Coordinator of Chennai Declaration interviewed by BBC world radio, on the danger of feeding chickens with antibiotics, to make them grow fat and fast. This practice results in the creation of dangerous superbugs, spreading to humans, leading to untreatable infections.Please listen to the programme( from 7th minute onwards )
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3cswmq2 -
Antimicrobial Resistance crisis- An Indian perspective- please watch the video.
“Please watch the short video on the global challenge of ‘super bugs’ and its impact on Indian public.
We need to invent revolutionary rapid diagnostic technologies, to help doctors decide whether a patient needs antibiotic or not and if so , which antibiotic.
Longitude prize is an eight million sterling pound challenge to scientists across the world to invent such a groundbreaking diagnostic”.
2. The Hindu article on colistin resistant bacteria in Indian food samples.
‘The Hindu’ article on colistin resistant super bugs created due to the dangerous practice of using colistin as a growth promoter in poultry.
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Coordinator of Chennai Declaration, talks on “Time travelling to India- Future of antibiotic resistance” at science Museum, London. The talk was part of the program ” Illuminating India- 5000 years of scientific achievements”.Audio of the talk is available in the blog
- Antibiotic Resistance Initiatives : What’s Happening in India?Coordinator of Chennai declaration writes in APUA( Alliance for Prudent Use of Antibiotics) news letter.https://static1.squarespace.
com/static/ 5746fb27d210b8a9ca274aa8/t/ 5a047ef771c10b702b356d54/ 1510244089361/ Newsletter2017FallFINAL.pdf
- Andhra Pradesh to go for e- prescriptions to combat Antibiotic resistance…..Good move…
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/state-to-go-for-e-prescriptions-to-combat-antibiotic-resistance/article19863396.ece - Kerala- the first Indian State to announce implementation of National Antibiotic policy…Today, Kerala Chief Minister Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan chaired the first state Inter-ministerial meeting on AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) held in Chief Minister’s office ; with participation of senior officials of all relevant Ministries. This is the first time Chief Minister of a state chairing an antibiotic policy meeting and making public announcement.
I had the honour of attending the meeting.
Proud to be part of this great initiative.
Congratulations to Kerala Government!!
http://english.mathrubhumi.com/mobile/health/health-news/govt-to-launch-state-antibiotic-policy-in-jan-2018-1.2302993 - WHAT DOES MAKING AN “AFFORDABLE” DIAGNOSTIC TEST IN INDIA MEANRapid,accurate and affordable bedside diagnostic tests will help doctors to know whether a patient requires an antibiotic or not. Unfortunately, such a wonderful test is not available in clinical practice. Longitude prize is a ten million sterling pound award for such an invention.So far no scientist has won this prize…How affordable should such a wonderful diagnostic test be ?
Please find the link to a blog I have written in the Longitude prize website.
https://longitudeprize.org/blog-post/what-does-making-affordable-diagnostic-test-india-mean
- “The week” article
“The rising spectre of superbugs in India” comments on Chennai declaration.
http://www.theweek.in/features/lifestyle/the-rising-spectre-of-superbugs-in-india.html - An article ‘Social determinants of antibiotic misuse:
a qualitative study of community members in Haryana, India’ published in BMC Public Health journal comments on “Chennai declaration”
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4261-4 - Union Health Ministry has finalised “National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance”. Ministers and representatives of eleven ministries signed “Delhi Declaration” to combat Antibiotic resistance.
http://www.business-standard.com/content/b2b-pharma/health-ministry-finalises-action-plan-to-combat-antimicrobial-resistance-117042000371_1.html - UN Assembly meeting discussed the global AMR challenge
On 21st September, United Nations Assembly meeting in New York, by heads of countries discussed the global challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance. A political declaration to tackle AMR was signed by all countries. This is the fourth time in UN Assembly history; a health related issue was discussed. (Other earlier topics being HIV, Ebola and Chronic diseases)
http://www.un.org/pga/71/2016/09/21/press-release-hl-meeting-on-antimicrobial-resistance/ - WHO bulletin article on UN Assembly meeting acknowledges the contribution of Chennai declaration
WHO bulletin published an article in relation to the UN meeting. The article has acknowledged contribution of Chennai declaration to the tackling antibiotics resistance issue.
Various initiatives including “Chennai declaration of Indian medical societies” have played significant role in mobilising international scientific and political community and to take the issue up to UN meeting.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/9/16-020916.pdf?ua=1 - Indian Ministry of Health steps up tackling AMR efforts
Indian National antibiotics policy core committee is now reorganized into three interlinked committees, for better performance and coordination.
- Technical advisory group on AMR (TAG-AMR) Chaired by Director General of Health services.
The committee includes senior representatives from various Ministries including DCGI and subject experts. The committee is responsible for reviewing the
Activities of the Core working group committee (by NCDC) and provide advice to the Committee of senior Govt. officials (ICC-AMR)
- Core Working group on AMR (CWG-AMR) Chaired by NCDC Director.
This committee is comprised of subject experts responsible for coordinating preparation of various documents, surveillance etc. - Inter-sectorial coordination committee on AMR (ICC-AMR) Chaired by Health secretary.
The committee comprises of senior most officials in Health ministry and other relevant ministries (secretaries and joint secretaries from various Ministries)
