Antibiotic Resistance National Action Plan Implemented

Kathmandu. According to the 'Antibiotic Resistance National Action Plan (2080/81–2084/85)' issued by the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, it will now be illegal to buy antibiotic medicines without a doctor's prescription. The government is amending the current legal provisions to prevent the indiscriminate sale and distribution of antibiotics in the fields of human, animal, and fish health. Once the new system is implemented, the practice of selling medicines without a prescription will be completely controlled. For this, a legal mechanism will be created to keep records of medicine sales and prescriptions and to conduct regular audits. Strictness will also be applied in the field of animal health. Legal provisions will be made to issue veterinary antibiotic prescriptions only through official veterinarians registered with the Nepal Veterinary Council. The action plan aims to enact laws to regulate the limits of drug residues in animals, fish products, food, feed, and the environment. Furthermore, 'reserve' group antibiotics designated by the World Health Organization will be placed on a special list. The sale of such medicines will be strictly enforced only from hospital pharmacies based on a doctor's prescription in special circumstances. The World Health Organization considers antibiotic resistance as one of the 10 major public health problems. Due to this, approximately 1.3 million people die worldwide every year. It is projected that by 2030, it will cause a significant decline in GDP and push an additional 28 million people into extreme poverty. According to the situation analysis, Nepal is among the 30 countries with high multidrug resistance. Difficulties have been encountered in the treatment of infections such as respiratory, tuberculosis, and typhoid here. In Nepal, people have a tendency to buy and consume antibiotics at their own discretion. Studies have shown that antibiotics account for 13% of total veterinary expenditure in the animal sector, and the use of banned premixes in feed results in harmful residues in the food chain. This action plan, with the vision of creating an antibiotic-resistance-free Nepal, aims to reduce infection and mortality rates through the 'One Health' concept. It has five main strategic priorities. Enhancing awareness, strengthening scientific knowledge, preventing infection, judicious use of medicines, and ensuring sustainable resources are prioritized. For effective implementation, a National Steering Committee headed by the Secretary of Health and a Technical Working Committee headed by the Chief of the Quality Measurement Division have been formed. Work will be done in an integrated manner, connecting all three levels of government, the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society. The implementation of the five-year action plan is estimated to cost a total of 4 billion 586 million rupees. Of the total budget, 61% will be utilized at the federal level, 12% at the provincial level, and 27% at the local level. Sector-wise, 2065 million rupees have been allocated for human health, 1996 million rupees for animal health, 416 million rupees for the food sector, and 109 million rupees for the environment sector. Resources will be mobilized through the internal budget of all three levels of government and assistance from donor agencies. To avoid a shortage of financial resources and manpower, a practice of regular monitoring and publicizing annual progress reports will be established. The successful implementation of this is expected to significantly help reduce the incidence of illness and mortality in Nepal.