As people in the state are heavily dependent on antibiotics to fight infections, the Kerala government has launched an action plan to make state a fully antibiotic-literate by 2023 to prevent excessive use and misuse of antibiotics. The mission is to sensitise people about the ill effects of self-treatment and create awareness about antibiotics.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) committees have been formed in all districts in the state to equip healthcare workers and the public to deal with the health consequences caused by excessive use and misuse of antibiotics. Officials said the government has decided to energise the district-level AMR committees after its function slowed down due to COVID-19.
With heavy use of antimicrobial drugs, known as antibiotics, to fight diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, more cases of antimicrobial resistance are being reported in the state. Antimicrobial resistance is a condition in which pathogens acquire the ability to resist these drugs over time. It is estimated that 7,00,000 people die every year worldwide due to diseases that even antibiotics cannot contain.
According to an official document of the state government, Kerala is the first state in the country to set up the AMR committees.
“The AMR committees were set up in Kerala in the wake of the World Health Organization’s warning that the number of such deaths could reach one crore by 2050. The action is taken in the backdrop that as AMR is a global health and development threat, it requires urgent multi-sectoral action to save people. The action plan is being implemented in coordination with Departments of Health, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with World Health Organization,” the official note said.
The Rapid Action Plan has been prepared for the timely implementation of the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan (KARSAP).
In order to get information from private hospitals, primary and secondary care institutions, the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (KARS-NET) has been expanded to include 21 satellite centres based at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. Laboratory facilities will be strengthened as part of the AMR surveillance in the state. The microbiology department of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College is functioning as the nodal centre for AMR surveillance in the state.
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