On Friday, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, stated that in 2019, nearly 5 million human deaths were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), of which 1.3 million were directly attributable to bacterial AMR globally.

Speaking as a part of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), she added that the WHO is calling for sustained multisectoral action to prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR). She further added that preventing and combating AMR has been one of the eight flagship priorities of the WHO South-East Asia Region, which is at high risk for the emergence and spread of AMR.

Additionally, Dr. Khetrapal noted that the South-East Asia Region is the only WHO region in which all countries carry out the annual Tracking AMR Self-Assessment surveys. She stated that the survey was expanded to include the environment sector for the first time this year.

The WHO review session showed that despite this progress, countries in the region continue to face an array of multisectoral challenges, such as unsafe disposal of medicine and pharmaceutical waste, inadequate regulation of antimicrobial use in food production, insufficient infection prevention and control in health facilities, and inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in homes and health facilities. 

(Source: https://web.statetimes.in/who-calls-for-sustained-multisectoral-action-to-prevent-antimicrobial-resistance/ )