OPERATION AMRITH 

Why in the News? 

Recently, Kerala government has launched operation ‘AMRITH’ to tackle anti-microbial resistance.

AMRITH stands for Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention for Total Health.

What is Operation AMRITH?

Launched by- Kerala Drug Control Department to reduce the use of antibiotics.

Objective- To conduct unexpected inspections at retail pharmacies to detect over-the-counter sales of antibiotics, without prescription.

Pharmacies need to maintain accurate records of antibiotic sales and comply with prescription regulations. They should also display a poster which states, ‘antibiotics not sold without doctor’s prescription’.

Kerala’s plan reflected a multi-sectoral approach, which is aligned with India’s National Action Plan on AMR.

What is Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR)? 

1) The ability of bacteria and other microbes to resist the drugs used to inhibit or kill them is known as AMR.

2) It is considered  as ‘silent pandemic’ which is responsible for 5 million deaths worldwide in 2019.

Read more – Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance in India 

What are the Causes of AMR? 

1) Overuse of antibiotics.

2) Lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.

3) Incomplete treatment as patients do not finish their course.

4) Inadequate infection control mechanism in hospitals.

What are the steps taken by the Indian government to control AMR? 

1) National Action Plan For AMR.

2) Delhi Declaration on AMR – It is an inter-ministerial consensus among various ministries to render their full support in AMR containment.

3) Antibiotic Stewardship Program(AMSP)- Launched by Indian Council Of Medical Reserch(ICMR) to prevent the overuse of antibiotics in hospital wards and ICUs.

4) Ban on use of colistin as a growth promoter.

5) Advancing concept of ‘one health’ – This is an integrated and unifying approach to balance the health of people, animals and the environment.