Context:
In his December 2025 Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime Minister highlighted the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), emphasizing responsible antibiotic usage and calling for greater public awareness.
Key Highlights:
- Public Awareness Push
- PM cited ICMR data showing reduced antibiotic effectiveness against:
- Pneumonia
- Urinary tract infections
- Identified irrational antibiotic use as core cause
- Advised against self-medication
- Surveillance Infrastructure
- India’s National AMR Surveillance Network (NARS-Net)
- Covers 60 sentinel medical college labs
- Need for:
- Expansion beyond urban centers
- Inclusion of private hospitals and primary care facilities
- One Health Approach
- Integrates:
- Human health
- Animal health
- Environmental health
- Recognizes antibiotic use in:
- Livestock
- Agriculture
- Global Framework
- WHO Global Action Plan (2015) objectives:
- Improve awareness
- Strengthen surveillance
- Optimize antimicrobial use
- Promote research
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):
- Microorganisms evolve resistance to drugs
- Leads to treatment failure
- ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research):
- Apex body for biomedical research in India
- NARS-Net:
- National AMR surveillance platform
- Sentinel-based monitoring system
- One Health Approach:
- Multisectoral strategy linking human, animal, and environmental health
- Surveillance Site:
- Institution designated to systematically collect disease data
Relevant Mains Points:
- AMR as a Public Health Crisis
- Threatens:
- Routine surgeries
- Maternal health
- TB treatment
- Economic impact through:
- Increased healthcare costs
- Productivity losses
- Behavioral Dimension
- Self-medication
- Over-the-counter antibiotic access
- Incomplete dosage cycles
- Governance and Regulation Gaps
- Weak enforcement of prescription norms
- Overuse in veterinary and agricultural sectors
- Surveillance and Data Gaps
- Urban-centric data bias
- Underrepresentation of rural burden
- Environmental Linkages
- Pharmaceutical waste discharge
- Antibiotic residues in water bodies
- AMR as One Health environmental issue
Way Forward:
- Strengthen antibiotic stewardship programmes
- Expand NARS-Net coverage nationwide
- Enforce stricter regulation on OTC antibiotic sales
- Promote public health campaigns
- Incentivize R&D in new antimicrobials
- Integrate AMR into National Health Policy priorities
UPSC Relevance:
GS 2 – Governance & Health Policy
GS 3 – Science & Technology (Biotechnology, Public Health), Environment (One Health)
Important for Prelims (AMR concepts, ICMR, WHO Plan) and Mains (Public health governance, regulatory reforms)