Mangaluru: Dr Iddya Karunasagar, only Prof from India to attend Advisory Group Meeting at Geneva

Bellevision Media Network

Mangaluru, 16 Sep 2022: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major problem for treating bacterial infections that affect vulnerable populations all over the globe and AMR is perceived as one of the top 10 public health threats by WHO. A global study published in the prestigious Journal Lancet indicated that in 2019, 1.27 million deaths were attributable to AMR infections. Antimicrobials are used in both humans and animals and about 75 percent global usages of antimicrobials are in veterinary medicine. AMR developing in one sector are easily transferred to bacteria causing infection in another list. In this context, WHO developed a list of critically important antimicrobials and the 6th edition of this came out in 2018. WHO set up an Advisory Group involving global experts to revise the list and categorize the antimicrobials as high priority critically important antimicrobials and critically important antimicrobials.

 

 

Dr Iddya Karunasagar, advisor, Nitte University is a member of this Advisory Group. The task of the Advisory Group was to provide advice in categorization and prioritization of antimicrobials for risk management.

 

Most of the work of this Advisory Group was carried out as online meetings. The first Physical meeting is being held in WHO Headquarters, Geneva, during September 13-15, 2022. Dr Iddya Karunasagar was invited to attend the meeting and contribute to the proceedings. Dr. Karunasagar, due to his expertise with Codex Alimentarius Commission, contributed to the meeting regarding provisions in Codex Alimentarius Commission and avoiding the use of critically important antimicrobials in animals.

 

Dr Iddya Karunasagar is the Chair of Scientific Panel on Residues of Antimicrobials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Thus Dr. Karunasagar can support the implementation of recommendations of the WHO list of critically important antimicrobials in the food sector in India.