Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Educationist Dr D C Sharma said, “Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is responsible for seven million deaths worldwide annually. AMR could lead to approximately 10 million lives annually by 2050, at a cumulative global economic cost of 100 trillion USD.”
He made the above remark during addressing a group of students of private schools on the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) in the city on Friday.
He further said that AMR is one of the top ten global public health threats for humanity, as noted in the World Health Organization.
“Drug Resistant diseases and superbugs are common terms for today’s world. The emergence of SUPERBUGS are major concerns and the answer lies in emerging AMR,” Sharma said.
He added that AMR is one of the major threats to the Sustainable Development Goal. “While posing a risk to biodiversity, it is also a major threat for ecosystems, economies and for our physical well being and survival, citing from Ghana Declaration: Call to Action on AMR 19- 20 November,” Sharma said.
“Microbes are not usually harmful to humans but are rather useful as they help support various metabolic processes, a few are harmful to humans, animals and plants which cause various diseases and become pathogenic, especially bacteria,” Sharma said.
He added that when humans, animals and plants are attacked by pathogenic microorganisms their infection is controlled by the use of antibiotics. Sharma explained the following:
Antimicrobial or antibiotic resistance
Antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance are entirely different and should not be confused as being similar. Antimicrobial Resistance is a broader term which includes broader range of chemicals which acts on various types of microbes like Bacteria (Typhoid, TuberCulosis, E Coli) Fungi Drug resistant Candida auris, Protozoans (Malaria Plasmodium falciparum), Viruses (Influenza, conjunctivitis, HIVDR), CORONA etc.
What is required to be done?
We have to find appropriate tools and technology to protect humanity from increasing AMR. Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme (ASP) is an effective programme.
Antimicrobial stewardship Programme (ASP) is collaborative, pharmacy driven, infection and syndrome specific programme to promote appropriate use of antimicrobial chemicals specially antibiotics for better health care.
It coordinates between clinical, medical and health care epidemiologists. It also checks or reduces communication of infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms.