Context

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published its first guidance report on 'Antibiotic Pollution' arising from manufacturing.

Key Highlights:

• The report is titled “Guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for manufacturing of antibiotics”.
• There is no information available to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are no longer in use.
• Unregulated antibiotic pollution: Despite high levels of antibiotic pollution being widely documented, antibiotic pollution remains largely unregulated worldwide.

What is Antibacterial Resistance?

• Antibiotic resistance is a condition in which bacteria or germs develop the ability to withstand the effects of antibiotics.
• These drugs are commonly used to treat bacterial infections. When bacteria become resistant, the effectiveness of these drugs is reduced and the infection becomes more difficult to treat.

Causes of Antibacterial Resistance:

• Inappropriate antibiotic use: Using antibiotics excessively or incorrectly increases the risk of bacteria developing resistance.
• Incomplete treatment: Not completely treating an infection can allow resistant bacteria to survive and spread.
• Antibiotic use in agriculture: The use of antibiotics in agriculture can also promote resistance in bacteria.

How antibiotics cause ABR?

• Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics can significantly contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance (ABR).
• When antibiotics are used, they kill sensitive bacteria. However, some bacteria may develop genetic mutations that make them resistant to the effects of the antibiotic.
• These resistant bacteria survive and reproduce, passing on their resistance genes to their offspring. Over time, the population of resistant bacteria grows, making infections more difficult to treat.

Initiatives taken by India for AMR:

• National Action Plan on AMR with One Health Approach Plan (2017)
• Antibiotic Stewardship Programme by ICMR (2012)