Telangana Chief Minister to Inaugurate Global South Conference on infection prevention and AMR

The Global South Conference on Infection Prevention, Control, and Antimicrobial Stewardship will be inaugurated by Telangana Chief Minister Shri A Revanth Reddy on 3rd October 2024. Shri Damodar Rajanarsimha, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, will attend as the guest of honour. During the conference, Shri Revanth Reddy will also launch Telangana’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Plan, making it the seventh state in India to introduce such a plan.

The three-day conference will be held from 3rd to 5th October at Shilpakala Vedika in Hitech City, Madhapur, Hyderabad. The event is being organised by the Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI), University of Hyderabad (UoH), and Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation (PRASHO) in collaboration with over 100 partners from academia, industry, healthcare organisations, and professional associations.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, President of the Infection Control Academy and Chair of G-SPARC, and R. Govind Hari, Chairman of PRASHO and Co-chair of G-SPARC, outlined the objective of the conference. They stated that it aims to provide a platform for stakeholders from resource-limited countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America to collaborate on policies, research, and practices in infection prevention, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), patient safety, and pandemic preparedness.

Dr Reddy emphasised the growing threat of AMR, stating, “Covid had a beginning and end. AMR is not like that. It is a slow pandemic and will be an eternal pandemic.” He warned that excessive use of antibiotics has led to the ineffectiveness of treatments for diseases like Typhoid, with 5 million lives already lost globally due to AMR.

AMR disproportionately affects developing nations and vulnerable populations, necessitating tailored solutions for the Global South. Collaborative efforts are needed to tackle AMR and other global health threats. Over 1600 delegates are expected to participate in the conference, where experts will discuss alternatives to antibiotic overuse, the future of healthcare, and AMR containment.

Prominent speakers at the event include Dr Anuj Sharma from the WHO India Office, Prof Chedly Azzouz from the Infection Control Africa Network, and Prof Atul Goel, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

A white paper on pandemic preparedness and prevention will be released at the end of the conference, which the Telangana Government has recognised as crucial, sponsoring the venue for the event.