NCDC survey: 55% of patients given antibiotics only as a preventive measure

Source- This post is based on the article “55% of patients were prescribed antibiotics for preventive indications, 45% for therapeutic indications: NCDC survey” published in “The Hindu” on 3rd January 2024.

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Health released results of survey conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), mapping patients for antibiotic usages across 15 States and two Union Territories.

What are the Results of the Survey?

1) The survey reveals that 94% of patients were prescribed antibiotics before receiving a definitive diagnosis of the infection, with only 6% receiving antibiotics after a confirmed diagnosis.

2) Only 45% for therapeutic indications, while the remaining 55% of patients were prescribed antibiotics for preventive indications.

3) The report also identified significant variations among hospitals, with antibiotic prescriptions ranging from 37% to 100% across different institutes.

4) Applying the WHO’s Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) classification, a substantial 57% of the prescriptions were for antibiotics in the Watch group, designated for specific, limited infective syndromes and more susceptible to antibiotic resistance.

5) The report highlights that a major factor contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics.
Note– The WHO recognizes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major threat to public health.

What is NCDC?

1) It was established in 1963 under Ministry of Health to function as a national centre of excellence for control of communicable diseases.

2) It serves as the nodal agency for India’s national program on AMR containment.

3) To attain AMR monitoring, it set up the National Antibiotic Consumption Network (NAC-NET), where network sites collect and forward data on antibiotic consumption in their health facilities to the NCDC.

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