Pfizer, ICMR partner to deal with antimicrobial resistance

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Pfizer will set up a centre in New Delhi, to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The project will help address the growing AMR threat in India, Pfizer said on the agreement signed between the two organisations.

The joint initiative will implement a series of interventions, ranging from AMR stewardship programmes for nursing homes to scaling up of the ongoing AMR surveillance network and creating awareness around responsible use of antibiotics.

Pfizer has provided an initial grant of ₹6.97 crore for the initiative with a provision to scale up further as the programme expands.

Dr K VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Department of Health Research, and Director General, ICMR, said the government recognised the need for “urgent action” and was developing a national response mechanism to deal with the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. “It is important to channel all necessary resources in developing, implementing and monitoring antibiotic resistance to minimise its adverse impact, which is posing a huge threat to both health and food security,” he added.

Infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc, are becoming difficult to treat due to decreased effectiveness arising out of the irrational usage of antibiotics. “We must do all we can to prevent a scenario where common infections and minor injuries become difficult or impossible to treat,” he said.

S Sridhar, MD, Pfizer, said the pharmaceuticals industry needed to respond to the government’s ambitious plan to combat antimicrobial resistance.

“Since its contribution of mass producing penicillin in the 1940s, Pfizer has remained a leading anti-infectives company across the world. We therefore recognise that we play an important role in a collective effort to address AMR — one of the greatest public health challenges of our times,” he said.

National Action Plan

The Centre had finalised the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) last April. NAP-AMR spells out six strategic priorities including improving awareness through communication, education and training, strengthening surveillance and promoting investments for AMR initiatives.

The joint initiative’s dedicated centre will be a nodal point to launch interventions in the three areas of stewardship, surveillance and awareness, a note said. ICMR’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme will be expanded across the country in a phased manner with focus on smaller in-patient centres (smaller hospitals and nursing homes).

ICMR’s existing AMR Surveillance Programme will be enhanced by training specialists to run an expanded India Surveillance Network that would cover both private and government hospitals, to collate, analyse and publish drug-resistance data across all geographies. And an awareness and advocacy programme will be organised to share information on antibiotic resistance, promote rational use of antibiotics, encourage infection-control techniques, and organise conferences and awards to recognise best practices.

The governance structure envisioned for this initiative will include a steering committee and an advisory council comprising representatives from ICMR, Pfizer, leading infectious disease specialists and experts in the domain areas of AMR. The initiative will also seek partnerships with various medical, pharmaceuticals, pharmacy and healthcare providers’ associations to advance the implementation of each of the interventions, the note said.