CSIR collaborates with RSC to tackle threat of antimicrobial resistance

The Council of Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) have joined hands in tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India. 

Dubbed the silent pandemic, AMR is the phenomenon by which disease-causing pathogens can acquire resistance against antimicrobial drugs, thus making infections harder to treat, prolonging hospitalisation and even causing death. 

The R&D pipeline for new antimicrobial drugs has dried up, community surveillance of drug-resistant bugs needs ramping up and stakeholders across all levels of healthcare need sensitisation on the judicious use of these precious drugs, according to a statement. 

“AMR not only impacts human health but also that of animals, plants and the environment as a whole. A One Health approach is required to mitigate its devastating consequences. Cross-sectoral knowledge must be pooled together and synergies to deliver an impactful plan of action,” said Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director-General CSIR, who presided over a high-level meeting of leaders from academia, government, industry and third organisations, co-chaired by Dr Swetavalli Raghavan and Dr Radha Rangarajan, in Delhi on Saturday, the statement said.

The inputs from the meeting will be incorporated into a White Paper on tackling AMR in India, commissioned by the Managing Director of RSC-India, Ajit Sharma, who opined that a healthcare crisis of this scale requires us to transcend the boundaries of conventional scientific research. 

“The focus is on synthesising evidence-based policy recommendations that are India-specific and India-centric, leveraging our strengths and capabilities in the fight against AMR,” added Dr Raghavan, the author of the White Paper, as per the statement.