Innovation Hub Launched to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance

The Department of Biotechnology’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), has launched a global collaborative platform to help reduce the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burden in India through stronger and more stepped-up participation of various stakeholders.

Anti-Microbial resistance is emerging as one of the world’s major healthcare challenges. India is one of the most affected geographies. Out of the projected AMR-related death of 10 million across the world, 20-25% or about 2.5 million deaths are projected in India alone.

The new platform called `India AMR Innovation Hub (IAIH)’ will focus on human-animal interface, and neglected tropical diseases and aim to create a globally connected ecosystem that includes an experienced scientific and clinical knowledge base, regulatory expertise, capability, and capacity building support such as funding and advanced research and development infrastructure, multi-pronged policy measures for public health and improving access, AMR stewardship and public communication for raising public awareness.

The Department of Biotechnology’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), has launched a global collaborative platform to help reduce the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burden in India through stronger and more stepped-up participation of various stakeholders.

IAIH partners include national and global stakeholders such as World Health Organisation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Narayana Health, Zydus Cadila, Johnson & Johnson, and support from ICMR, DBT, and ICAR. It will continue to add more partners and expertise with time.

IAIH recently convened a meeting chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India that brought together the collective thinking of all these partners on the way forward. It will soon outline specific interventions and prioritize focus areas in alignment with the National Action Plan on AMR.

Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP said, “The world is staring at a silent pandemic of AMR. We need to come together and fight this health challenge collectively for the well-being of our and coming generations. Today, we are extremely excited with the launch of IAIH and grateful to support from all our govt and non-govt partners.”

WHO has identified antimicrobial resistance AMR as one of the top ten global healthcare threats. The steady rise in AMR worldwide has been attributed to misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, lack of clean water and sanitation, lack of public awareness, and inadequate prevention and control measures to emergent and existing microbial infections. Besides infections, the problem poses a looming threat for 21st Century medicines as antimicrobial treatment regimens associated with conditions such as cancer treatment and post-operative care begin to fail.