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Existing Policies/Guidelines on the Environmental Dimension of Antimicrobial Resistance in India: An Insight into the Key Facets through Review and SWOT Analysis

Authors :
Falguni Debnath
Debjit Chakraborty
Sandip Giri
Shatabdi Saha
Soume Pyne
Raja Chakraverty
Agniva Majumdar
Alok Kumar Deb
Vishal Diwan
Rajesh Bhatia
Shanta Dutta
Source :
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol 7, Iss 11, p 336 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multidimensional phenomenon. The environment acts as a mixing pot of drug-resistant bacteria from many sources such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, veterinary, and agricultural sectors. In this study, we analysed the existing AMR-related policies/guidelines/legislations in India in the above domains and how the current practices are being guided by them. Methods: We used a convergent parallel mix method design. Quantitative data were collected through a review of policies/guidelines/legislations in the said domains and analysed using the SWOT tool parallelly supported by key informant interviews of domain-specific stakeholders. Results: Altogether, 19 existing AMR policies/guidelines/legislations were identified. The existence of few policies/guidelines in each domain indicated the evolving environment for policy interventions. However, the lack of capacity among farmers, inadequate provision for structured capacity building, high cost of alternatives to antimicrobials, and lack of provision of incentivisation in case of crop failure were identified as the major weaknesses prevalent across the domains. Opportunities for policy refinements/the introduction of new policies are ample. However, easy access to antimicrobials and injudicious use imposes threats to AMR containment in all sectors. Conclusions: Despite having a few policies for the containment of AMR, their implementation witnesses challenge due to the lack of collaborative approaches, the existence of policies disjointed from ground reality, infrastructural issues, and the lack of capacity and resources.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
24146366
Volume :
7
Issue :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.20a3ebf91e44018b3693c1825ca896
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7110336