C-CAMP launches India AMR Innovation Hub to combat antimicrobial resistance

New Delhi: Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) is world’s biggest healthcare challenge, also termed as Silent Pandemic. India is one of the most affected geographies, with out of a projected AMR related 10 million deaths across the world, 20-25% i.e.  ~2.5 Million deaths are projected in India alone.

In this context, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has launched the India AMR Innovation Hub (IAIH), a unique global multi-stakeholder platform. C-CAMP has brought together national and global stakeholders in AMR to make an impact and change in India with a common objective i.e. fight against AMR. The vision of the IAIH is to reduce the AMR burden in India through deeper participation in the national efforts to tackle this global health challenge, thereby contributing to the global fight against AMR.

IAIH will focus on Human AMR, Human-Animal interface or One Health Approach and Neglected Tropical Disease (NTDs) and aim to create a globally connected ecosystem that includes an experienced scientific and clinical knowledge base, regulatory expertise, capability and capacity building support such as funding and advanced R & D infrastructure, multi-pronged policy measures for Public Health and improving access, AMR stewardship and public communication for raising public awareness.

IAIH partners include national and global AMR stakeholders from public health organizations (WHO), philanthropic organizations (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), non-profits (CARB-X, FIND, PATH, GARDP, DNDi), Academic & Research Institutes and Hospitals (Narayana Health, Cytecare Cancer Hospitals, RxDx Healthcare, ChanRe Rheumatology and Immunology Centre and Research, St John’s Medical College and Hospital) and industry (Zydus Cadila, Gangagen, Bugworks Johnson & Johnson, Elanco, Godrej Agrovet) and support from Government agencies (ICMR, DBT, ICAR). IAIH will continue to add more partners and expertise.

Recently, IAIH convened a meeting chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India that brought together the collective thinking of all these partners on the way forward for IAIH.  The IAIH will soon outline specific interventions and prioritize focus areas in alignment with the National Action Plan on AMR.

Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP said, “The world is staring at a silent pandemic of AMR, which could lead to disastrous health and ecological consequences globally, and more so in India. We need to come together and fight this health challenge collectively, for well-being of ours and coming generations. IAIH aims to bring global AMR stakeholders together on this common platform to select priority areas and build intervention towards reducing the AMR burden in India and beyond. Today, we are extremely excited with IAIH launch and grateful to support from all our govt and non-govt partners.“

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified by WHO as one of the top ten global healthcare threats. The steady rise in AMR worldwide has been attributed to misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, lack of clean water and sanitation, lack of public awareness and inadequate prevention and control measures to emergent and existing microbial infections. Besides infections, the problem poses a looming threat for 21^st Century medicine as antimicrobial treatment regimens associated with conditions such as cancer treatment and post-operative care begin to fail. India is among the nations with the highest burden of bacterial infections as mentioned by WHO.