New Delhi, Nov 18:
The Union Government on Tuesday launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) 2.0 (2025–29), unveiling a strengthened strategy to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda released the revised action plan in New Delhi on the opening day of the WHO’s World AMR Awareness Week (November 18–24). The first national AMR action plan was introduced in 2017.
Calling the updated plan a crucial step forward, the Health Ministry said, “NAP-AMR 2.0 is a significant step in tackling AMR through a One Health approach. With participation from over 20 ministries and clear timelines and budgets, stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting public health.”
Rising Threat of AMR
Highlighting the dangers of unchecked antimicrobial resistance, Nadda warned that AMR poses “serious risks, particularly in surgical procedures, cancer treatment, and other critical healthcare interventions.” He stressed that the routine overuse and misuse of antibiotics has made the problem urgent, necessitating decisive action.
What’s New in NAP-AMR 2.0
The updated plan aims to address gaps identified in the 2017 version by strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, improving accountability, and increasing engagement with the private sector.
According to the Health Ministry, the revised plan includes:
- Action plans of each stakeholder ministry with specified timelines and dedicated budgets
- Clear mechanisms for coordination and collaboration across ministries and sectors
- A stronger emphasis on the One Health approach, integrating efforts across human health, animal health, agriculture, and the environment
Six Strategic Objectives
NAP-AMR 2.0 outlines six major focus areas:
- Raising awareness and understanding of AMR through communication, education, and training
- Strengthening laboratory capacity for AMR detection and surveillance, including monitoring antibiotic residues
- Reducing infection prevalence through better infection prevention and control
- Optimising antimicrobial use in humans, animals, and food production
- Promoting research and innovation, identifying priority areas for basic and operational AMR research
- Strengthening governance and intersectoral coordination, ensuring coherent national action
Next Steps for Ministries
Following the launch, each participating ministry and department is expected to prepare a detailed implementation roadmap, involving:
- Private sector partners
- Technical and academic institutions
- Professional bodies
- Industry and cooperatives
- NGOs and international organisations
The Health Ministry stated that these collaborations will be key to ensuring effective nationwide implementation of the action plan over the next five years.
NAP-AMR 2.0 marks India’s renewed commitment to controlling antimicrobial resistance—a global health threat that, if left unchecked, could make common infections untreatable and jeopardise modern medical care.
