17 November, 2015

Antibiotics: Handle with care

Every five minutes a child dies due to drug-resistant bacteria in the WHO South-East Asia Region. 

Drugs that were effective in treating deadly diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria etc. are increasingly losing their impact. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics is leading to antibiotic resistance which is emerging as the greatest public health threat.

Antibiotics are often not optimally prescribed - when not needed, or with incorrect choice of medicine or incorrect dosage. Self-medication is common with antibiotics freely available without a prescription. Failure to finish a course of antibiotics or taking them for too long, lack of regulations or standards for health care workers, and misuse and overuse in animal husbandry and agriculture, are factors adding to the increasing antibiotic resistance.

WHO is strongly advocating for urgent action to reverse the growing antibiotic resistance which is threatening to outpace the ability of antibiotics to cure dangerous infections. The consequences could be catastrophic. We are heading to an era when minor cuts might become life-threatening. Common infections that were treatable for decades may once again kill.

Countries in WHO South-East Asia Region signed a declaration in Jaipur in 2011 to prioritize action against antibiotic resistance.

The World Antibiotics Awareness week aims at raising awareness and promoting best practices among the general public, health professionals and policy makers to ensure judicious use of antibiotics to avoid further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics continue to be a precious resource. They have saved millions of lives by treating serious bacterial infections. Let us together work to stop antibiotic resistance.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.11.2015

Cancer drugs, stents at 60% discount soon

Over 200 cancer drugs, 186 medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases and 148 stents and cardiac implants will now be available at central government hospitals at prices 50-60% lower than the open market.

The health ministry has launched a programme called AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment), under which the government will run pharmacy retail stores to sell medicines in hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia.

TOI was the first to report on September 19 that the health ministry was working on a project to make cancer medicines and stents available at substantial discounts by procuring them in bulk. The health ministry's AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) programme seeks to make treatment of critical diseases more affordable by bringing down the cost of medicine, which constitute a major part of the total health expenditure, mainly in case of tertiary care.

"This is certainly an innovative initiative. Patients can buy medicines and implants at rates 50-60% cheaper than open market from AMRIT outlet in AIIMS," health minister J P Nadda said while inaugurating the first store. "The government is pinning a lot of hope on it. We are exploring the possibility of scaling up the facility and also making it accessible to larger number of people in various parts of the country," he added.

Since the incidence of cancer and heart diseases is high and rapidly increasing in India, the government has chosen these two therapeutic categories for initial focus of the pragramme, an official said. In India, deaths from cancer have increased by 60% since 1990, according to the latest report `Global Burden of Cancer-2013', released worldwide on Friday. In 2013, there were 14.9 million new cancer cases registered worldwide, whereas 8.2 million people died due to the disease. Cardiovascular diseases are found to be the leading cause of death globally .

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.11.2015

Don’t forget three rules for success : Never tell anyone everything you have, you know and you can do