Relevance : GS Paper II
Even though antimicrobial resistance is acknowledge, few have considered its economic impact.
The Economic impact of Antimicrobial Resistance
- May cause high scale global economic shocks
- nearly 10 million people estimated to die annually
- health-care costs and the cost of food production will spike
- income inequality will widen
- world may lose 3.8% of its annual GDP by 2050
India’s Case
- difficulty in implementing India’s antimicrobial resistance plan
- twin challenges of antibiotic overuse and underuse
- poorly regulated pharmaceutical industry
Way forward
- Nations must acknowledge this eventuality and act to fight it.
- Phase out critical human-use antibiotics in the animal husbandry sector
- Private pharmaceutical industries must distribute drugs in a responsible manner.
- Philanthropic charities must fund the development of new antibiotics
- Citizen activists must drive awareness
- improve hygiene and vaccinations
Conclusion
India must consider the consequences of a failure.
