Next generation of medics to lead fightback against AMR
The discovery of antibiotics in the 1920s was a quantum leap in humankind’s ability to treat and cure diseases that were otherwise fatal. The ability of antibiotics to fight bacterial infections is, of course, common knowledge. However, it is still not common knowledge that these drugs are being over prescribed. Antibiotics have also been overused in the animal and poultry sectors. This has left the world on the brink of a crisis with these drugs having become ineffective because pathogens have developed resistance.
In a recent paper titled ‘A minireview of the burden of antimicrobial resistance and its regulation across one health sector in India’ published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (March 2024), Vijay Pal Singh et al. try to present an overall picture. The authors note that factors that contribute to the AMR burden in India include a high prevalence of infectious diseases, incompatible infection prevention control practices, a stretched public health system, easy access to antibiotics without prescriptions (in 2010, India was the largest user of antimicrobials among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries), insufficient standardised effective surveillance platforms to track drugresistant patterns and consumption, insufficient knowledge and awareness,
The effort was to spread a message on dealing with resistance and to saturate medical groups with information about the importance of preventing resistance
and limited laboratory resources for diseasebased diagnosis.
With this in mind, a venture was begun between the AMR Declaration Trust and Rotaract Medicrew. This will help the next generation of medical professionals answer the challenge of resistance by integrating cuttingedge stewardship into education and practice. This effort was initiated to broadcast a message on dealing with resistance and to saturate medical and allied groups with information about the importance of talking about and preventing antimicrobial resistance in the community and hospitals. This initiative aims to empower medical students with the knowledge and tools to tackle this global health challenge. This collaboration merges the expertise of an NGO dedicated to and focused on AMR with that of one of the most significant medical student organisations worldwide, setting a new benchmark for spreading education about antimicrobial resistance in the community, among doctors, and among the public.
The project, titled ‘Prescriber Today, Steward Tomorrow’, is a testament to the belief that early education in medical training can play a crucial role in shaping a future where antimicrobial stewardship is not just encouraged but embedded in the fabric of healthcare practice, says Abdul Ghafur, infectious diseases specialist and founder of the AMR Declaration Trust. By integrating comprehensive training on AMR and AMS into the medical curriculum, the initiative seeks to instill an understanding of the rational use of antibiotics among the medical professionals of tomorrow.