KOCHI: In a first, an international journal has published an article on the state’s initiatives to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a dominant global health concern identified by the UN General Assembly and the World Health Organisation.
The article — ‘When policymakers have your back: The Kerala experience with statewide antimicrobial resistance mitigation efforts’ — was featured in the Journal of the American Society for Healthcare Epidemiology, published by Cambridge University Press.
Authored by Dr Aravind Reghukumar, serving with the department of infectious diseases at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, and nine other doctors, the article explains how the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan, Kerala Antibiotic Smart Hospital Initiative and the Kerala Antibiotic Literate Campaign helped tackle the AMR crisis.
“The article was published in an international journal as the subject is relevant. Even the UN General Assembly has discussed the issue twice in the past 20 years. In India, Kerala is the only state that has been implementing an AMR strategic action plan effectively,” Dr Aravind told TNIE. Political will and commitment are key to addressing the issue, he pointed out. Antimicrobial resistance is caused when antibiotics are overused, allowing bacteria to thrive, and develop the ability to resist the medication.