Lok Sabha Question No. 3318 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Anti-microbial Resistance
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3318 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2022

## ANTI-MICROBIAL RESISTANCE

## 3318.  SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the growing threat of Anti-microbial Resistance in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has undertaken any steps for increasing awareness about antibiotic misuse, practice rational antibiotics in the population and to check the irrational use of antimicrobials for common viral illnesses; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) to (c): Government is aware about the challenges posed by anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in India and has taken following measures to address the issue:
- i. AMR  surveillance  network  has  been  strengthened  by  establishing  labs  in  State  Medical College. 36 sites in 26 States/UTs have been included in this network so far.
- ii. National action plan on containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR )  focusing on  One  Health  approach  was  launched  in  April  2017  with  the  aim  of  involving  various stakeholder ministries/departments. Delhi Declaration on AMR- an inter-ministerial consensus was  signed  by  the  ministers  of  the  concerned  ministries  pledging  their  support  in  AMR containment.
- iii. AMR Surveillance Network: ICMR has established AMR surveillance and research network (AMRSN)  comprising  30  tertiary  care  hospitals,  both  private  and  government  to  generate evidence and capture trends and patterns of drug resistant infections in the country.
- iv. AMR Research & International Collaboration: ICMR has taken initiatives to develop new drugs /medicines through international collaborations in order to strengthen medical research in AMR.
- a. ICMR  along  with  Research  Council  of  Norway  (RCN)  initiated  a  joint  call  for research in antimicrobial resistance in 2017.
- b. ICMR along with Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany has a joint Indo-German collaboration for research on AMR.

Government  of  India  has  taken  following  initiatives  to  increase  awareness  about  antibiotics misuse:

- a. ICMR has initiated antibiotic stewardship program (AMSP) on a pilot project basis in 20 tertiary care hospitals across India to control misuse and overuse of antibiotics in hospital wards and ICUs.
- b. DCGI has banned 40 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) which were found inappropriate.
- c. ICMR  worked  in  collaboration with Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries and the DCGI to ban use of Colistin as growth promoter in animal feed in poultry.
- d. Various IEC activities like public conclave, poster and quiz competitions have been conducted by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in schools, colleges and Health  melas  to  create  awareness  about  AMR,  its  containment  &  prevention  and judicial use of antibiotics among the common public.
- e. To raise awareness among the community and the health care providers, communication material includes posters, videos and radio jingles has been developed with emphasis on prevention of irrational use of antibiotics during viral-illnesses and also on infection prevention through hand hygiene to prevent spread of infections.

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