Kerala’s Amaram project recognised among nation’s model initiatives

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness and Mitigation Programme (Amaram) project of state health department has been recognised as one of the country's model initiatives and was presented at the 10th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices in New Delhi.The project was presented by Rahul Krishna Sharma, state mission director of National Health Mission, who highlighted the successful implementation of the programme in Alappuzha. The initiative received national attention and several states have shown interest in adopting the model.The Amaram project is considered one of Kerala's major interventions in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The programme was launched with the objective of promoting community-based awareness and mitigation efforts against antimicrobial resistance. It introduced model interventions in both healthcare and local self-govt sectors and was implemented through inter-departmental coordination based on the "One Health" concept.The project was first launched in 12 grama panchayats in Alappuzha with the aim of implementing model AMR control activities through local interventions. The initiative focused on transforming selected hospitals into "antimicrobial smart hospitals" and selected local bodies into "antibiotic literate panchayats". Community-based awareness campaigns organised as part of an AMR awareness calendar strengthened the foundation of the project.Several activities were held under the programme, including training to strengthen infection prevention and control systems in hospitals, awareness campaigns on hand hygiene, food and environmental sanitation, disease prevention, neonatal care and palliative care.During the first phase, priority was given to training, awareness generation and infection control measures. A survey was later conducted to assess public awareness. In the post-intervention evaluation, hospitals achieved 100% compliance with the prescribed standards, while local self-govt institutions achieved 90% compliance. In the second phase, the programme intensified awareness campaigns and hospital-based interventions.Of the five antibiotic literate panchayats in the state, four are from Alappuzha. As part of the initiative, 14 hospitals were converted into antibiotic smart institutions, and efforts are under way to transform all hospitals in the district into antibiotic smart hospitals. The project was implemented by a team led by Dr Jamuna Varghese, district medical officer, Alappuzha.