-Hindustan Times Union minister of state for health, Bharati Pravin Pawar, while presenting India’s national statement on combating AMR at the Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance recently said that India was prioritising development and implementation of state action plans for containment of AMR across sectors India plans to strengthen its network of antimicrobial resistance surveillance labs that it set up to monitor the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in the...

-Down to Earth There were growing concerns over resistance to streptomycin and tetracycline antibiotics The registration committee (RC) under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) August 2021 approved the recommendation for phasing out the use of streptomycin and tetracycline, according to the availability of alternatives.  It has also highlighted the need for validation of available alternatives on a large scale in the field. These recommendations are made by a sub-committee formed by...

-Down to Earth Antibiotics are indiscriminately used on food crops in several parts of the country, adding to the burden of antibiotic resistance    Dharampal Singh just cannot stop admiring the cauliflowers glistening with beads of dew on his farm near the Yamuna banks in Delhi. Next to the plot, rows of radishes, spinach, fenugreek and bottle gourds lie shining in the morning sun. “These untainted vegetables fetch me a premium in the...

-Down to Earth NEW DELHI: World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified antibiotics into different groups based on their therapeutic efficacy and to curb the increasing risk of superbug infections. It has asked member-countries, including India, to adopt the classification in their health systems to cut the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotics are the most sold drugs segment in India with sales of over Rs 1,000 crore. The WHO classification specifies which antibiotics...

-Down to Earth * Day-long Conclave organised by CSE in New Delhi; about 50 experts from across India participate * Experts recogniselinkages between India’s growing burden of diseases and the food produced intensively using chemicals as well as ‘bad food’ — ultra-processed foods high in fats, sugar or salt (HFSS), marketed rampantly * Strong pesticide management billneeded. Class I pesticides, extremely hazardous and toxic, must be phased out * Regulations needed to reduce misuse...