Context

India must brace for the economic shocks from uncontrolled antimicrobial resistance.

Background

• Even though antimicrobial resistance is acknowledged by policymakers as a major health crisis, few have considered its economic impact.

•  Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (IACG) – Now, a report from the Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (IACG) puts the financial fall-out in perspective.

• Titled “No Time to Wait: Securing The Future From Drug Resistant Infections”, it says in about three decades from now uncontrolled antimicrobial resistance will cause global economic shocks on the scale of the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Findings of the report

• High human and economic cost – With nearly 10 million people estimated to die annually from resistant infections by 2050, health-care costs and the cost of food production will spike, while income inequality will widen.

• GDP loss and poverty widening – In the worst-case scenario, the world will lose 3.8% of its annual GDP by 2050, while 24 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030.

• Nations must acknowledge this eventuality, the IACG says, and act to fight it.

• For high- and mid-income nations, the price of prevention, at $2 per head a year, is extremely affordable.

• For poorer countries, the price is higher but still modest compared to the costs of an antibiotic apocalypse.

India’s efforts to fight resistance

• India first published almost nine years ago the broad contours of a plan to fight antimicrobial resistance.

• The difficulty has been in implementing it, given the twin challenges of antibiotic overuse and underuse.

• On the one hand, many Indians still die of diseases like sepsis and pneumonia because they don’t get the right drug at the right time.

• On the other hand, a poorly regulated pharmaceutical industry means that antibiotics are freely available to those who can afford them.

• The IACG report acknowledges these obstacles, and calls for efforts to overcome them.

Steps required

• Phasing out critical human-use antibiotics in the animal husbandry sector – Some steps can be initiated right away, it says, such as phasing out critical human-use antibiotics in the animal husbandry sector, such as quinolones.

• Multi-stakeholder approach -But these steps cannot be driven by regulation alone.A multi-stakeholder approach, involving private industry, philanthropic groups and citizen activists is needed.

• Responsibility of Private pharmaceutical – Private pharmaceutical industries must take it upon themselves to distribute drugs in a responsible manner.

• Responsibility of Philanthropic charities – Philanthropic charities must fund the development of new antibiotics, while citizen activists must drive awareness.

• These stakeholders must appreciate that the only way to postpone resistance is through improved hygiene and vaccinations.

Conclusion

It is a formidable task as India still struggles with low immunisation rates and drinking water contamination. But it must consider the consequences of a failure.

While the 2008-09 financial crisis caused global hardships, its effects began to wear off by 2011. Once crucial antibiotics are lost to humankind, they may be lost for decades.