Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) accounts for 7,00,000 deaths every year the world over and by 2050, if the world does not take any action, 10 million lives will be at risk annually from this phenomenon, and 90% of them in Asia and Africa. This emerged out of a webinar – ‘Pandemics and industrial food animal farming’ – organised here on Wednesday by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The meet was addressed by Haileysus Getahun, director, Global Coordination and Partnership on AMR, Tripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, World Health Organisation (WHO), Anuj Sharma, technical officer-AMR, Labs and IPC, WHO Country Office for India, Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, among others.
“In a year where a pandemic is ruling the roost, it is important to realise that AMR — the phenomenon which makes disease-causing germs resistant to the drugs designed to kill them — is also a pandemic of epic proportions, and needs immediate intervention,” said Ms. Narain.
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CSE also released its publication, ‘Body Burden: Antibiotic Resistance – A State of India’s Health’ on the occasion.
Amit Khurana, Programme Director, Food Safety and Toxins, CSE, said food that we eat was increasingly being produced in intensive industrial settings.
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“This is the norm in high income countries of the world, while in low and middle income countries, intensification is happening due to the growing animal protein demand,” he said.
CSE has recommend a ban on antibiotic use for growth promotion while reducing need for chemicals by focusing on animal husbandry, bio-security, alternatives, diagnostics, and veterinary extension systems.