Online Discussion on 4th March 2021 from 17:00-19:00 (IST)

WHO cancer Centre for LMIC, Mumbai and Indian Initiative for Management of Antibiotic Resistance, India 

Present

Online Discussion on 4th March 2021 from 17:00-19:00 (IST) 

 

Venue: Online: https://ki-se.zoom.us/j/654354616

Theme: Drugs, Antimicrobial Resistance and allied 

 

Moderators: Dr. Ashok Tamhankar and Dr. Nishtha Khatri

 

Agenda:

1.Challenges of One Health Antibiotic Stewardship in rural community settings

Presentation: 17:00 – 17:40 & and Q&A: 17:40 – 18:00

Speaker: Dr. Meenakshi Gautham

London School of hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Discussants: Dr. Vishal Diwan: Scientist at ICMR- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH) & Dr. KV Arulalan: Primary care pediatrician, chief consultant, A A Childcare, Vellore; Former President, IMA, Vellore

2. Bacteriophage therapy as an alternative therapeutic strategy for MRSA infections

Presentation: 18:00 – 18:30; and Q&A: 18:30 – 19:00

Speaker: Dr. Archana L., PhD scholar, Antibiotic Resistance and Phage Therapy Lab, VIT, Vellore

Discussants: Dr. Geetu Bhandoria: Gyne-Oncologist and Obstetrician, Command Hospital, Kolkata and  Member, Junior Editorial Board, International Journal of Gyn Cancer & Dr. Bhakti Sarang,  Consultant WHOCC for research in surgical care delivery in LMICs, Mumbai & Associate Professor, Surgery, Terna Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai

Impact of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Contributed by: Dr. Ashok Tamhankar and Dr. Nishtha Khatri

India has become a cradle for strains of TB bacteria that can hold out against antibiotics; in 2019, the country registered the highest number of drug-resistant TB cases in the world. Among the reasons that bacteria grow inured to antibiotics is an insufficient duration of treatment:

doctors prescribing regimens that are too brief, or patients stopping their doses if they feel better or cannot afford their medicines. These strains of drug-resistant TB bacteria have spread to the US, the UK, Germany, and other countries. Crafting new antibiotics to battle these bacteria takes 10-15 years of work and at least $1 billion in investment per drug.

What influence can a portable smart-phone based microscope have on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) ?

Contributed by: Dr. Nishtha Khatri & Dr. Ashok Tamhankar

A recent article published in Nature Communications highlights the importance of point of care diagnostics and describes about a newly built battery-powered smartphone microscope. This portable microscope can be used to carry out a detection assay for DNA specific to antibiotic resistant klebsiella. Have you ever imagined if we have portable diagnostic devices, how easy will it become to detect resistant bacteria? This can be a huge boon in our race against AMR. 

How technology can help combat multi-drug resistant bacteria

Contributed by: Dr. Nishtha Khatri & Dr. Tamhankar

The dawn of antibiotic usage was in the year 1928 when Alexander Fleming first discovered penicillin. Thereafter, various antibiotics have been discovered, prescribed and used for prevention as well as treatment of infections. However, due to the rampant usage of antibiotics, we are presently facing the wrath of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Use of newer technology can help to overcome the problem of AMR to some extent. Various studies have highlighted the importance of technology in battling AMR. Use of strictly lytic bacteriophage, CRISPR-Cas and Nanotechnology are good examples of the same.  

In India some groups are working in such areas like lytic bacteriophages (1,2), CRISPR-Cas (3) and Nanotechnology (4,5,6). Technology is announcing its presence in almost every field and medical field is no exception to it. It is about time that medicos and tech-savvy's join hands to fight the battle of AMR.