Kerala, India: launch of the 1st sub-national action plan on AMR

The state of Kerala became the first Indian state to launch an Action Plan for containing Antimicrobial Resistance. The Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan (KARSAP) was released at a ceremony held at the city of Thiruvananthapuram on 25th October 2018. The action plan is aimed at giving a strategic direction to the various activities undertaken to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the state. The action plan is truly “One-Health” in its approach and was developed through a collaborative exercise involving human, non-human and environment sectors.

The Action Plan was released by the Chief Minister of the state of Kerala Mr Pinaryi Vijayan, who handed over the first copy to Dr Henk Bekedem, WHO’s Representative to India.
The Action Plan was released by the Chief Minister of the state of Kerala Mr Pinaryi Vijayan, who handed over the first copy to Dr Henk Bekedem, World Health Organization’s Representative to India. The Chief Minister congratulated all those who were involved in the process of developing KARSAP and reminded the audience that release of such a plan is only the first baby step in a long journey. He said that the general public should be made aware of the issues associated with misuse of drugs, especially antibiotics. Henk Bekedem said that the state of Kerala has consistently performed well in all areas related to health and development; and this was a reflection of a responsive political system. KK Shailaja, state minister for Health and Family welfare, also spoke at the occasion and highlighted the importance of translating the strategic action plan into reality.

“Kerala is a huge market for medicines and the misuse of antibiotics is soaring. There is a need to sensitize the community about the issues associated with overuse of antibiotics, especially over-the-counter sales of medicines.”

Source: ReAct