New Delhi, Nov. 23 -- India has unveiled its next-generation national action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR 2.0) for 2025-2029, to curb misuse of antibiotics across human and animal health as drug-resistant infections emerge as a major national health threat. The plan focusses on phasing out non-therapeutic antibiotic use in livestock, fisheries and agriculture and tightening prescription-only access. The strategy aims to protect the effectiveness of life-saving drugs.

Antibiotic resistance can be transferred from animals to humans through the consumption of milk, meat, eggs, and other dairy products.

The government's revamped strategy comes in the backdrop of data showing that AMR directly caused an estimated 267,000 deaths in 2...