HYDERABAD: Experts at the second edition of the Public Health Innovations Conclave stressed the need for all State governments to have a comprehensive plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as after the pandemic, the misuse of antibiotics has come forth with doctors being forced to use them liberally to fetch results, albeit with no luck often.
“Antimicrobial resistance is the new pandemic that is under construction in silence now,” said Dr Anuj Sharma, WHO’S Country Officer for India. He explained how many of WHO’s recommendations also went wrong because the pandemic was ever-evolving and was becoming something that could only be tackled by trial and error.
“My advice to the general public would be to follow the ‘3Ws and 2Vs’ for safer living. Wear masks, watch distance and wash hands, and the 2Vs would be to follow vaccination and ventilation,” he added.
Other experts also warned that AMR is likely one of the biggest challenges for the coming decade and needs State’s intervention.
The three-day conclave will focus on three crucial aspects of infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and various innovations in public health like packaged heat for pain relief, instant warm blankets for hypothermia preemies, among others.