A march to flag the hazards of antibiotics abuse

Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists rally emphasizes responsible antibiotic use to combat rising antimicrobial resistance globally.

The importance of a judicious use of antibiotics to prevent the spiralling incidence of drug-resistant microbial infections was the key message of an awareness rally led by the Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists, Puducherry chapter.

Around 400 volunteers including doctors, faculty members, medical, nursing and allied health sciences students, technical staff and other health care staff from all the eight medical colleges in the region, marched to demand urgent action to prevent the misuse/abuse of anti-biotics.

Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan, flagged off the rally in front of the Gandhi Statue at the Rock Beach that emphasised the urgent need for responsible antibiotic use among medical professionals and the general public and for collaborative efforts to combat this global health challenge.

The rally also highlighted the importance of preventing infections, reducing antibiotic misuse, and fostering awareness at every level of society to combat the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The event was part of a united effort to combat the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in response to a call for an annual World AMR Awareness Week by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote responsible antibiotic use and raise awareness of the dangers posed by AMR.

According to experts, AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat. AMR is a leading threat to global public health, endangering lives, increasing healthcare costs, and putting essential surgical procedures at risk.

Some of the important causes for the rise in AMR are over-the-counter use of antibiotics, use of antibiotics for viral illnesses or use of antibiotics without doctor’s recommendation.