Antimicrobial resistance: the next BIG pandemic

Authors

  • Divya Chaudhry Health Policy Initiative, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi
  • Priyanka Tomar Health Policy Initiative, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173306

Keywords:

Antimicrobial resistance, Pandemics, Health systems, Premature mortality, Public health, Surveillance

Abstract

Pandemics have indefinitely threatened the resilience of health systems worldwide. Based on the costs inflicted by some of the deadliest pandemics in human history, economists have projected that global pandemics could cost over USD 6 trillion and generate an annual estimated loss of over USD 60 billion. While the global health community is tirelessly trying to curb the burden of premature mortality from several old and new forms of pathogens, it is now faced with the silently emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pandemic that could endanger some of the most significant advances in modern medicine. Owing to rampant antibiotic consumption in India, the article shows why the country may become the ‘AMR capital of the world’. It shows how health systems may be strengthened both at the national and international levels to reduce premature mortality and morbidity attributable to AMR and pandemics. 

Author Biographies

Divya Chaudhry, Health Policy Initiative, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi

Divya is working as a Research Associate at ICRIER. She is involved with the research program on ‘Tackling chronic diseases in India’, which is a part of ICRIER’s Health Policy Initiative. Her recent research (ICRIER Working Paper 321) highlights the burden of premature mortality in India due to chronic diseases and evaluates the challenges related to financing, governance and human resources in order to address this burden. Concurrently, Divya is associated with ICRIER’s World Bank-sponsored Jobs for Development project. In 2015, she coauthored a paper on ‘Human capital potential of India’s future workforce’ (ICRIER Working Paper 308) and is presently working on identifying challenges and assessing the potential of job creation in fragile situations. In 2014, she coauthored a book chapter on ‘Motivations and experiences of Indian students in Korea’. Divya pursued a Master’s degree in Economics from Ambedkar University (batch of 2012-14), with a full-scholarship from the Government of NCT of Delhi. 

Priyanka Tomar, Health Policy Initiative, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi

Priyanka is working as a Research Assistant at ICRIER. She is involved with the research program on ‘Tackling chronic diseases in India’, which is a part of ICRIER’s Health Policy Initiative. She is also associated with ICRIER’s World Bank-sponsored Jobs for Development project and is working on identifying challenges for job creation in fragile situations.

Previously, she has interned with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, where she worked on the Nalanda Project, evaluating a technology-based learning platform integrated into the local school curriculum. She has also interned with Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi where she assessed the implementation of National Rural Health Mission in two districts of Rajasthan.

She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from Miranda House, University of Delhi and an MA in Economics from Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. Her research interests broadly lie in behavioural economics, economics of health & education, development and public economics.

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Published

2017-07-22

How to Cite

Chaudhry, D., & Tomar, P. (2017). Antimicrobial resistance: the next BIG pandemic. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 4(8), 2632–2636. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173306

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Section

Review Articles