Telangana becomes seventh State to launch action plan on antimicrobial resistance

Telangana has joined six other States in India by launching its own action plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), announced Minister for Health C. Damodar Raja Narasimha.

The Minister made this announcement at the inauguration of the Global South Conference on Infection, Prevention Control, and Antimicrobial Stewardship (G-SPARC) held at Shilpakala Vedika in Hyderabad on Thursday (October 3, 2024).

Action plan in formulation stage

Speaking at the event, the Minister highlighted the urgency of addressing AMR, calling it ‘one of the most pressing challenges of our time’. He noted that the State’s action plan is in the formulation stage and will soon be executed. He also assured that concrete measures would be implemented to tackle the issue.

Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu echoed the minister’s concerns, highlighting AMR as one of the top 10 threats India faces in the near future. “If we do not pay attention to the issue now, there will be drastic problems in the future,” she warned. Ms. Chongthu acknowledged that high antibiotic use and increasing AMR rates have been identified as key concerns, and the State’s policy would address these challenges. Ms. Christina also referred to India’s National Action Plan on AMR, which was launched in 2017, noting that several States have since introduced their own action plans. She stressed the importance of conferences like G-SPARC in fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge on infection control. “Telangana, through the National Health Mission and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), has made a good start in tackling AMR, but there is still a long road ahead,” she added.

The inauguration of the conference also featured remarks from Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri, chairperson of G-SPARC, co-chair Govind Hari, former Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja, and other members of the conference.

Published - October 04, 2024 11:48 am IST