Context:

• The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is to be observed every year from November 18 to 24, 2023.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023

• Cause for rising AMR: AMR stands as a critical global health issue, worsened by the excessive use and misuse of antibiotics, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Consequences of rising AMR: If AMR is not addressed urgently, we might enter a post-antibiotic era where even minor infections could become deadly which could once be treated with antibiotics.
• The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) theme for 2023 is ‘Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together’.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?

• It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread.
  • Drug resistance in bacteria
    • For example, the rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat urinary tract infections, varied from 8.4% to 92.9% for Escherichia coli and from 4.1% to 79.4% for Klebsiella pneumoniae  
  • Drug resistance in the virus
    • For example, All antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, including newer classes, are at risk of becoming partly or fully inactive because of the emergence of drug-resistant HIV (HIVDR). 
      • People receiving antiretroviral therapy can acquire HIVDR, and people can also be infected with HIV that is already drug-resistant. 
• As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

How to raise awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance?

• Public education on the dangers of self-medication and the importance of responsible antimicrobial use is vital in curbing this concerning trend and preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations. 
• Educating children on antimicrobial use instills responsible habits and attitudes early on, shaping the behavior of future patients and caregivers. 
  • The Delhi Society for the Prevention of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) organized mass campaigns for two consecutive years in Delhi Schools, supported by WHO, the Delhi Government, the National Centre for Disease Control, and a targeted initiative with ECHO India. 

Steps Taken by India to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance:

• Delhi Declaration on AMR: An inter-ministerial consensus was signed at the launch of NAP-AMR, by the ministers of the ministries concerned pledging their whole-hearted support in AMR containment.
• Red Line awareness campaign on AMR: It urges people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor’s prescription.

News Source: DTE