Antimicrobial Resistance (Set 1 in English): Understanding AMR

What is AMR and Why Should We Care?

Hello and welcome to today’s episode of “Sangyan Podcast.” I’m your host, Sakshi, and today, we will discuss an important topic that affects us all - Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Let's dive in and understand why AMR is a growing concern and what we can do to protect ourselves and our communities.

What is AMR? Host: AMR stands for Antimicrobial Resistance. It happens when germs like bacteria, viruses, and fungi become stronger and stop responding to the medicines we use to kill them, like antibiotics. Imagine taking a medicine to treat an infection, but it doesn’t work because the germs have become too tough. This is what AMR does. It makes treating infections much harder, even simple ones like a sore throat.

Why Should We Care About AMR? Host: Let’s talk numbers to understand why AMR is a big concern. In 2019, nearly 5 million people died worldwide from infections that didn't respond to antibiotics. Out of these, 1.27 million deaths were directly caused by AMR. Shockingly, in India, AMR is responsible for around 2.97 lakhs direct deaths every year. In total, over a million deaths in India are linked to AMR. This is more than the deaths caused by cancer, tuberculosis, or diabetes.

Why Is AMR Important for Us? Host: If germs become resistant to our medicines:

• Simple infections like a throat infection or a skin cut can become hard to treat.
• Medicines may not work well, making people stay sick longer.
• Infections can spread and become dangerous, even life-threatening.

Examples of AMR in Everyday Life: Host: Let me give you a simple example. Imagine you have an ear infection, and you take antibiotics without a doctor's consultation, and it doesn’t help because the bacteria are too strong. Or if you have a fungal infection on your skin, the usual cream might not work anymore because the fungus has become resistant. Host: AMR is a silent but serious threat. If we don’t take action now, simple infections could become deadly. Stay tuned as we discuss more about what causes AMR and how we can prevent it in the next episodes.