Punjab launches action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance

In a major step to counter the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday launched the Punjab State Action Plan against the Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (PUNJAB-SAPCAR).

With this, the state has become the seventh state in India — and the first in the region — to adopt a dedicated policy to curb the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, a critical global health challenge.

Advertisement

The comprehensive plan is anchored in the ‘One Health’ approach, which brings together human health, animal health, agriculture, and environmental sectors for a holistic response to AMR. This aligns the state with both national and global health priorities.

Key features of Punjab’s AMR Action Plan include enhanced surveillance through sample monitoring and testing at government health facilities via laboratory networks to track resistance patterns; strict hygiene and cleanliness standards in hospitals, clinics, and food vending areas to reduce infection risks, and robust interdepartmental coordination among health, veterinary, agriculture, and food safety departments for integrated action.

The plan also stresses the rational use of antibiotics, mandating prescription-based usage in line with clinical guidelines to prevent misuse. Public awareness campaigns will be expanded across government health facilities—including District Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, Primary Health Centres, and Aam Aadmi Clinics—to educate citizens about the dangers of self-medication and the importance of completing prescribed treatment courses.

Additionally, the plan also seeks to restrict non-therapeutic antibiotic use in livestock and agriculture while promoting safe alternatives; strengthen primary healthcare under ‘Universal Health Coverage,’ ensuring equitable access to diagnostics and treatment, and thereby reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.

Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said: “Punjab’s AMR Action Plan is a decisive step in safeguarding the future of healthcare. By adopting the One Health approach and aligning with global priorities, we are committed to preserving the effectiveness of life-saving treatments for generations to come.”

He added, “Grassroots awareness is vital. At Government Health Facilities, we will intensify efforts to sensitise people against self-medication and incomplete treatment courses, as both fuel antibiotic resistance.”

Principal Secretary Health Kumar Rahul highlighted that monitoring and surveillance from Aam Aadmi Clinics to laboratories, combined with strict hygiene and standard treatment protocols will be central to the state’s strategy. He underlined the importance of cleanliness in hospitals and food vending areas to reduce community-level infection risks.

Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Ghanshyam Thori, stressed that interdepartmental coordination is the cornerstone of the plan, requiring seamless collaboration between health, veterinary, agriculture, and food safety departments. He also reaffirmed that rational antibiotic prescribing, in line with clinical guidelines, is critical to preventing misuse.