Though antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat, misuse of antibiotics is rampant in India. The move is aimed at discouraging unnecessary prescription and over-the-counter sale of antibiotics causing drug resistance for several critical diseases including TB, malaria, urinary tract infection and even HIV.High-end antibiotics are used for critical diseases and in serious infection cases. However, misuse of such antibiotics for common health conditions help bacteria develop resistance.The government is running campaigns against irrational prescriptions and over-the-counter sale of antibiotics. The World Health Organisation has also created pressure on India seeking urgent and concrete measures to arrest the reducing effectiveness of antibiotics. It has cautioned the government and public health experts that if enough was not done now, common bacterial infections such as skin sores or diarrhea would become untreatable and fatal.

Source: Times of India January 17, 2017 21:10 UTC