The Policy Context for Responses to Antimicrobial Resistance in India

Abstract

The role of government-led stewardship of policy on the public health priority of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control and mitigation has been explicitly recognized through international frameworks and action plans endorsed at multilateral and inter-governmental forums. India has been described in the biomedical literature as a key node in the global AMR crisis. This chapter examines the policy and governance context for AMR mitigation in India. Applying the analytical concepts of ‘sentinel’ and ‘actuarial’ frames in biopolitical discourses about AMR, the chapter highlights facets of the strategic framing of existing AMR policy and governance documents, and describes reported national initiatives as well as policy implementation challenges. It makes the case for qualitative research with stakeholders to identify contemporary challenges and opportunities in policy translation and communication of strategy in the AMR domain in India.