New Delhi: Updating the initial framework for countering antimicrobial resistance, first introduced in 2017, Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2.0.
The updated plan, outlining renewed strategies to curb the growing threat of drug-resistant infections including, enhancing laboratory capacity and infection control in healthcare facilities.
Launching the program Nadda said, NAP-AMR 2.0 addresses the gaps identified in the first NAP-AMR by increasing the ownership of AMR-related efforts, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination and ensuring stronger engagement with the private sector.
He stressede that, overuse and misuse of antibiotics has unfortunately become common practice, leading to antimicrobial resistance and it poses significant risks, particularly in surgical procedures, cancer treatment, and other critical healthcare interventions.
Present at the event, Dr A K Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India said, “AMR is a like a pandemic affecting many countries especially the developing countries in Asia and NAP-AMR 2.0 is timely initiative for generating a more coherent action plan.”
The development of NAP-AMR 2.0 started in 2022 through series of stakeholder consultations and high level meetings between participants from more than 20 concerned ministries and departments.
Again the previous plan NAP AMR 2.0 also focuses on strengthening awareness, education and training.
The ‘Compiled report of National Expert Consultations for developing National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2.0’ published by the the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) outlines that the 2017 plan lacks standardized methodologies for conducting KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practices) studies and inadequate consolidation of data from existing KAP studies
Additionally it also highlighted lack of collaboration and communication between the stakeholders and absence of an integrated platform.
In India AMR is recognised as a National Priority and the National Task Force (NTF) on AMR containment was constituted in 2010 leading to development of the National policy on AMR containment in early 2011.
In April 2017, Health Ministry launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) in line with Global Action Plan (GAP) which was to be to be implemented over next 5 years (2017-2021).
