Why In The News?
The NCDC has rejected a Lancet study claiming that over 50% of Indian patients undergoing a specific gastrointestinal procedure are colonised with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), calling the findings inaccurate.
1) What is Antibiotic Resistance:
- Definition: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) become resistant to antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics.
- Impact on Treatment: Standard treatments become ineffective, leading to persistent infections that can spread to others.
- Natural Phenomenon: Resistance develops naturally as bacteria evolve, reducing the effectiveness of drugs.
- Superbugs: Microorganisms that develop AMR are often called “superbugs.”
- Global Threat: The WHO identifies AMR as one of the top ten global health threats.
2) Causes of Antibiotic Resistance:
- High Disease Burden: A high prevalence of communicable diseases (tuberculosis, diarrhoea, respiratory infections) increases antimicrobial use.
- Weak Public Health System: An overburdened health system limits diagnostic capacity, leading to improper treatment.
- Poor Infection Control: Hygiene lapses in hospitals and clinics promote the spread of resistant bacteria.
- Misuse of Antibiotics: Overprescription, self-medication, incomplete antibiotic courses, and unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics accelerate resistance.
- Easy Access: Unregulated over-the-counter antibiotic availability increases inappropriate use.
- Lack of Awareness: Low public awareness about AMR contributes to misuse of antibiotics.
- Inadequate Surveillance: Limited monitoring systems hinder tracking and understanding of AMR spread.
3) Implications of AMR:
- Healthcare Impact: AMR makes previously effective antibiotics ineffective, causing prolonged illnesses, severe symptoms, and higher mortality from common infections such as pneumonia, UTIs, and skin infections.
- Increased Healthcare Costs: Resistant infections require costlier drugs, longer hospital stays, and sometimes invasive procedures, raising expenses for patients, health systems, and governments.
- Challenges in Medical Procedures: AMR increases risks in surgeries, chemotherapy, and organ transplants because infections may not respond to standard antibiotics.
- Limitations in Treatment Options: Growing resistance reduces the availability of effective antibiotics, potentially creating a post-antibiotic era where common infections become untreatable and potentially fatal.
4) About National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC):
- Organizational Affiliation: NCDC functions under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Purpose: Established as a national centre of excellence for the control of communicable diseases.
- Leadership: The Director, an officer of the Public Health sub-cadre of Central Health Service, serves as the administrative and technical head of the institute.
- Headquarters: Located in New Delhi.
- Branches: NCDC has 8 regional branches at Alwar (Rajasthan), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Kozhikode (Kerala), Coonoor (Tamil Nadu), Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Patna (Bihar), Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh), and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
| [UPSC 2019] Which of the following are the reasons for the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens in India?
1. Genetic predisposition of some people 2. Taking incorrect doses of antibiotics to cure diseases 3. Using antibiotics in livestock farming 4. Multiple chronic diseases in some people Select the correct answer using the code given below. Options: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 only* (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4 |
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