ReAct Asia Pacific: Sensitizing civil society in India

10 strategies for civil society organizations to mitigate antibiotic resistance

The meeting identified 10 possible strategies civil society organizations could take up to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in the short and long run.

1. Take up communication campaigns in their relevant areas. For example, those in the animal sector could campaign to disseminate good-animal husbandry practices and measures to reduce antibiotic use in the farm sector.
2. At a higher level, they could also advocate for the need to generate good-quality representative data on antibiotic consumption in the animal sector.
3. The civil society organizations also discussed the challenges with the current narrative and the need to shift the language from a purely technical one to a broader one with antimicrobial resistance as a development issue by emphasizing infection prevention at all levels across sectors. It was suggested that there is a need to stop framing this as a battle against bacteria.
4. Civil society organizations may also pilot and disseminate viable alternatives to antimicrobials in the veterinary sector (such as ethnoveterinary and traditional medicines).
5. Civil society organizations working in the healthcare sectors can promote and disseminate the antibiograms (and national guidelines) to clinics, private practitioners, and health workers and highlight the need for prudent antimicrobial use, especially in areas where microbiology laboratory facilities are not available or not affordable, and empirical antibiotic use is prevalent.
6. The biggest challenge identified was communicating antimicrobial resistance to non-medical people. Hence, it was proposed that civil society organizations undertake campaigns with comprehensive and effective messages across sectors to raise awareness and make people understand the need for a One Health approach.
7. Civil society organizations could also help in promoting access to antibiotics. Besides, civil society organizations could also advocate against irrational fixed drug combinations with antibiotics, especially those from the Watch and Reserve category.
8. Civil society organizations could participate in World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) and further amplify the messages.
9. Civil society organizations working in other infectious diseases, such as Tuberculosis, have a good outreach and interactions with community pharmacists, which could be used to promote awareness on rational use of antibiotics, thereby significantly restricting over-the-counter use of the WHO WATCH and RESERVE categories of antibiotics.
10. Civil society organizations could continue identifying and nurturing AMR champions, educating policymakers, and ensure that health issues are among the top priorities on the political agenda. While India has many successful ambassadors on digital media advocating for the likes of immunization against polio, the need for tuberculosis testing, and other important issues, no such digital campaigns exist for antimicrobial resistance.

The meeting provided valuable perspectives for those working in AMR-sensitive areas and served as a platform for cross-sector collaboration, knowledge sharing, and partnerships.

Antibiotic smart communities as a way forward

Communities need to engage for action on the global health challenge we all are facing – drug-resistant bacteria. With this mindset, ReAct Asia Pacific initiated the project Antibiotic Smart Communities.

Learn more: ReAct Asia Pacific: Antibiotic smart communities as a way forward