December 2019

Dear Members,
Seasons Greetings,
Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) is one of the major public health problems especially in developing countries where relatively easy availability and higher consumption of antibiotics have led to higher incidence of inappropriate
use of antibiotics and greater levels of resistance compared to developed countries. In 2010, India was the world’s
largest consumer of antibiotics for human health.

As you are aware inappropriate consumption of Antibiotics directly leads to drug resistance. Reducing unnecessary consumption would go a long way in preserving antibiotic effectiveness Indian Medical Association to create awareness on Appropriate Prescription of Antibiotics.

Extended Action Committee meeting was held at IMA HQs, New Delhi this month & declared War against AMR. 

Following decision was taken as IMA North Zone Declaration, 2019.
• Stop Quackery.
• Stop over the counter sale of Antibiotics without prescription.
• Stop online sale of antibiotics.
• Judicious use of antibiotics.
• Maintain sterility and monitoring of O.T./ICU/Labour Rooms and other critical areas in your hospital.
• Antibiotic policy should be created for every region/state/healthcare establishments after proper scientific evidence.
• Policy on prophylactic antibiotics in clean surgical patients be implemented.
• All health care sector employees should be vaccinated for Tetanus, Hepatitis B at least and if possible, for influenza and pneumococcus.
• Hand hygiene and other infection control practice should be promoted among healthcare workers and society at large.
• Restricted antibiotic list should be identified and published according to antibiograms and to be used only
after enough scientific evidence.
• Public awareness poster against self-medications and depicting ill effect of unnecessary use of antibiotics should
be pasted in patient waiting area.
• Marketing of antibiotics to AYUSH practitioners must be stopped.
• Strict regulations to restrict the use of antibiotic in poultry, animal husbandry and agriculture.
• Unethical practice by pharma companies to promote target-oriented sale of antibiotics should be stopped.
• Publication of antibiogram of different micro-organism should be published on regular basis.
• Government should fund for research on development of new antibiotics as the pharma companies are not coming forward for the same.
Long Live IMA, Jai IMA