AMR: Types ,Causes & Ways to Prevent|UPSC Notes

AMR is one of the most important challenges in modern healthcare. AMR occurs when microbes undergo changes, and the drugs meant to eradicate them, known as antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics, are rendered ineffective. The term AMR now seems synonymous with the threat of untreatable infections- a challenge for humans as well as animals alike. The increase in AMR is alarming, mainly in the sense that it undoes all gains made in medicine, and millions of lives are threatened. Disposing and misuse of antibiotics is a primary cause. Common infections will become deadly if urgent action does not come. 

• AMR increases mortality rates, mainly in immunocompetent patients.
• Antibiotic misuse in humans and animals is the primary cause.
• This involves longer recovery times and increased transmission rates in the case of ineffective drugs.

GS Paper	GS Paper III
Topics for UPSC Prelims	Basics of Antimicrobials and their function., Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Role of antibiotics in health and agriculture, WHO guidelines on AMR
Topics for UPSC Mains	Impact of AMR on public health and agriculture, Global and national strategies to combat AMR (e.g., National Action Plan on AMR), The role of biotechnology and research in tackling AMR, Government schemes and international collaborations aimed at reducing AMR.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms change in a manner that reduces or destroys the effectiveness of treatments. This means that the standard drugs become ineffective or less effective for treatment. Even the simplest bacterial and viral infections become critical, especially if proper antibiotic treatment is not received at the right time due to AMR.

Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance

Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance include: There are numerous causes of antimicrobial resistance and are intimately related with human activities. The major causes include:

Misuse of antibiotics

The greatest causative agent of AMR is through the overuse/misuse of antibiotics in both human and animals. Most people administer antibiotics when they are not needed, or they fail to complete the antibiotic prescription course.

Poor infection control

Poor hygiene, poor infection control in healthcare facilities, and poor sanitation contributes to the development of resistant bacteria. Hospitals are the “breeding grounds” for resistant organisms.

Misuse of antimicrobials in farming

Mass antibiotic prescription in agriculture, especially on animals, greatly contributes to AMR. Animals are given antibiotics for growth enhancement or to prevent infections in densely populated environments that encourage resistance breeding.

Travel and trade

In the interconnected world, resistant bacteria can spread without much effort. As such, AMR can spread across borders quite easily, affecting populations around the globe.

Types of Antimicrobial Resistance

The first step towards curtailing the problem is to grasp the different forms that antimicrobial resistance can assume. According to the organism in question and the drug used, resistance occurs in various ways:

• Bacterial resistance: Bacteria become resistant to the action of antibiotics, and they are thus hard to treat. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is one good example.
• Viral resistance: Viruses can become resistant to antiviral drugs, making their treatment difficult. For instance, some drugs for controlling HIV have been defeated by viral resistance.
• Fungal resistance: Some fungi have managed to be resistant to antifungal drugs thus complicating treatment of candidiasis amongst other diseases.
• Resistance in parasites: Malaria-causing parasites have developed resistance to drugs chloroquine and others thus complicating the treatment process.

How Do We Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance?

Prevention will begin to solve the AMR crisis. Several approaches at individual, community, and global levels can be instituted. Doctors must only prescribe them when needed. The patient has to complete the course undertaken as ordered; it is not skipped. Use of appropriate antibiotics:

• Antimicrobial prophylaxis: Hygiene, hand washing, and vaccinations are the best preventatives against infection and reduce antibiotic use in the hospital. The best infection control in hospitals.
• Global coordination: Combating AMR would demand global coordination. Nations would need to come together and provide strictures on the use of antimicrobials with specific measures for their enforceability.
• New treatments: New research into the development of new antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines should be conducted in order to be able to remain in the lead of emerging resistant organisms.
• More awareness: The population should be enlightened concerning the threat of AMR and how individual activities are perpetuating it. The society needs to be made aware of whether antibiotics are actually needed or not.

AMR Across the World

The worldwide implications of AMR are dire. In most countries, it has raised the costs of healthcare and extended recovery periods for patients. This poses a significant burden to many economies by increasing the treatment prices of resistant infections and, most importantly, affects access to proper treatments in developing nations.

WHO estimates that AMR could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050 if no action is taken. It may make common surgeries deadly, and routine medical procedures might result in a threat of death due to infections untreatable. 

Role of Healthcare Systems

Healthcare systems worldwide should be more aggressive against and in control of AMR. Hospitals and clinics are at the forefront of preventing the spread of resistant bacteria, but one of the major issues is the poor infection control in health facilities as well as the frequent prescription of antibiotics.

Hospitals should use their rigorous hygiene measures to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria. The right use of antibiotics should be taught to healthcare professionals. Surveillance systems have to be advanced to ensure monitoring of the spread of resistance infections as well as the assessment of treatment effects.

Conclusion

The threat of AMR is highly significant to the health security of people all over the world. It is time to act. Combining efforts on the part of governments, care providers, and individuals may be a sure way to slow the spread of resistance and keep these lifesaving drugs effective. Public awareness, responsible antibiotic use, and global collaboration are essential components in keeping AMR from becoming a full-blown crisis.

AMR UPSC Notes

1. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms to resist the effects of drugs, making infections harder to treat. 2. AMR occurs naturally, but its acceleration is due to misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture. 3. Common causes include over-prescription of antibiotics, poor infection prevention, and lack of clean water and sanitation. 4. AMR threatens global health, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. 5. Types of AMR include bacterial resistance to antibiotics, viral resistance to antivirals, and fungal resistance to antifungals. 6. Global initiatives like the WHO’s Global Action Plan aim to combat AMR through surveillance and better antibiotic use. 7. Technological advancements in diagnostics and vaccines are crucial to slow the spread of resistance. 8. Preventive measures include improving hygiene, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, and promoting responsible antibiotic consumption in agriculture.

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