On Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – Drug war

Source: This post on Antimicrobial Resistance has been created based on the article “Drug war” published in “The Hindu” on 6^th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 Social Justice – Issues relating to Health.

News: The article discusses the causes for the rise in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

A detailed article on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) can be read here.

Background:

According to a study by the Health Ministry:

1. Over 70% of the patients in tertiary-care hospitals were prescribed antibiotics. Of this, over 50% of antibiotics prescribed have the potential to cause AMR.
2. 55% of the patients were prescribed antibiotics as prophylaxis, or as a preventive.

What according to the author is causing a rise in AMR?

According to the author, due to a rise in the prophylactic use of antibiotics (a prophylactic is a medication, or a treatment used to prevent a disease from occurring), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming deadlier.

What is AMR?

AMR occurs when pathogens evolve, fortifying themselves against drugs, and stop responding to antimicrobial drugs. This crisis is increasing due to unsound medical, and animal husbandry practices.

According to WHO, bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.

What are the implications of rising AMR?

According to the WHO, it invalidates the multiple gains that modern medicine has achieved over years in the following manner:

1. It makes infections harder to treat.
2. It also makes performing other medical procedures and treatments such as surgery, caesarean sections and cancer chemotherapy much riskier.

What steps should be taken?

1. Rational prescription of antibiotics.
2. Curbs on the use of drugs to promote growth in animals and plants.
3. Antibiotic research and development: urgent measures are required to develop new drug candidates.
4. Equitable access to these new drugs.
5. Role of doctors and the government: Their role in regulating use of drugs is crucial.
6. Role of Patients: They are impatient with the medical process, expecting immediate relief to ailments. This leads to unhealthy antibiotic usage.

Question for practice:

What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)? What are the various reasons behind a rise in AMR?