Kochi: Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced on Thursday the launch of a state-wide campaign to combat the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, spanning all 14 districts. The initiative is part of efforts to address the antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a significant global health and development challenge. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and plants are the primary drivers behind the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.
As part of this campaign, the Kerala government has mandated that antibiotics must now be dispensed in a blue packaging, and a doctor’s prescription will be mandatory for purchasing them at pharmacies. The goal of the campaign is to promote responsible use of antibiotics and mitigate the development of resistance.
In Ernakulam, the health officials conducted an extensive door-to-door awareness drive that reached approximately 200,000 households and aims to cover every home in the district soon. The campaign is being executed by 2,257 trained health workers, who have also reached out to migrant worker communities by conducting awareness sessions in their native languages.
Key messages of the awareness program emphasize that antibiotics should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor and that the patients must complete the full course of treatment as directed. Additionally, the public is being educated that the antibiotics should not be shared between individuals, and proper caution should be taken when disposing of unused or expired medications.
The seriousness of this initiative stems from international research indicating that antimicrobial resistance affects all countries, irrespective of income levels, with low- and middle-income nations being particularly vulnerable. Reports have shown that in 2019, bacterial antimicrobial resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths and contributed to 4.95 million deaths globally.
The Kerala government’s campaign underscores its commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance and raising public awareness to curb the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and promote better health practices.