National Antimicrobial resistance Hub,Kolkata

News:The Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) has inaugurated India’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub in Kolkata.

Facts:

About the Hub:

• The National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub has been developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) in association with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• The hub will aim to identify antibiotics that work best for diseases and frame a policy for antibiotic use that will prevent resistance. 
• It will also carry out basic research and have a repository of viral strains that are being collected from all over the country.
• The Kolkata centre would also be the hub for research on antibiotic resistance, not only for the country but for the entire South Asia.

Additional information:

About antimicrobial resistance: 

• Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of a microorganism like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites to stop an antimicrobial such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and antimalarial from working against it.
• The World Health Organization(WHO) recognises AMR as a serious threat to global public health.

About ICMR:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),New Delhi is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. 
• It is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research,Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.