AIIMS teams up with CDC, ICMR to address healthcare-associated infections and AMR

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, is teaming up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to address healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across India.

Leveraging ICMR’s microbiology expertise and academic resources, this initiative aims to systematically enhance the capacity of India’s healthcare systems to collect, utilise, and report precise data on Healthcare Associated Infections and AMR.

In a conversation with Millennium Post, Dr Purva Mathur, Professor Department of Microbiology and Chief PI of Surveillance highlighted healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and their preventability through proper sanitation and hygiene maintenance.

Approximately 95 per cent of HAIs are related to medical devices, including bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonias, and surgical site infections. However, AMR plays a significant role in increasing the risk of contracting these infections.

Dr Mathur told Millennium post, “The mention of azithromycin being widely consumed during the COVID outbreak and its link to Salmonella underscores the risk of antibiotic resistance due to overuse. Bacteria in the gut can become resistant, leading to contamination when excreted.

“Efforts to treat sewage are critical, with every hospital mandated to have a sewage treatment plan, and effluents must be rigorously tested. Unfortunately, not all government facilities comply with these standards, contributing to the persistent problem of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Proper sewage treatment is crucial in preventing the introduction of highly resistant pathogens into the community.”

Dr Kamraan Farooque, Chief of JPNATC, highlighted the issue of antibiotics prescribed to the general public outside of ICU settings leading to AMR, “In many cases, these prescriptions are empirical and not based on sensitivity patterns. The ideal approach, as emphasised, is to first document the specific infection, and then prescribe antibiotics accordingly to curb carelessness. In contrast, trauma centers and ICUs maintain a more rigorous approach. They ensure culture reports before administering broad-spectrum antibiotics, followed by tailored narrow-spectrum antibiotics.”

Dr Farooque also stressed the vital role of pharmacists and how the Indian government has established Schedule H1 to regulate antibiotic distribution, emphasising the need for proper prescriptions.