- Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to inaugurate the three-day Conference, G-SPARC 2024
- Chief Minister to launch the state AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) plan during the conference. Just six states in India have this plan in place and once the plan is launched Telangana will be the 7th state in India
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Hyderabad, India, September 30, 2024: G-SPARC 2024 (Global South Conferece on Infection Prevention and Control Antimicrobial Stewardship), the three-day conference will be held at Shilpakala Vedika in Hitech City, Madhapur in the city from 3rd to 5th October, 2024. Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, President, Infection Control Academy and Chair, G-SPARC and R. Govind Hari, Chairman of the Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation (PRASHO), and Co-chair, G-SPARC informed in a press conference held on Monday in the city.
G-SPARC brings together experts, researchers, policymakers, civil society, healthcare institutions, industry, and practitioners from around the globe to share knowledge, best practices, and innovations in IPC, AMS and One Health. This conference provides a unique forum for professionals from diverse backgrounds and regions to exchange knowledge, experiences, and best practices in infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, and One Health. The recent pandemic has underscored the critical importance of infection prevention and control, and the need for collaboration and innovation in this field has never been more urgent.
The Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is to be the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the prestigious three-day conference Global South Conference on Infection Prevention, Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship (GSPARC 24). Damodar Rajanarsimha, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare will be the guest of honour.
The objective of the conference, according to them, is to provide a platform for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Patient Safety stakeholders from Global South (resource-limited countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, South America) to collaborate for better policies, research, tailored solutions and practices on IPC, AMS and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and pandemic preparedness.
G-SPARC 2024 is organized by the Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI), University of Hyderabad (UoH), and Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation (PRASHO) with support from more than a hundred distinguished partners from academia, industry, healthcare organizations, and professional associations.
The organizers highlighted that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) impacts people of all ages and transcends borders, affecting every country. However, the burden is disproportionately heavier on developing nations and vulnerable populations. This necessitates tailored solutions to address the unique challenges faced by the Global South. Therefore, collaborative efforts and South-South cooperation are essential in tackling global health threats like AMR.
Some of the prominent speakers at the conference include … Dr Anuj Sharma, WHO India Office; Prof Chedly Azzouz, Chairperson, Infection Control Africa Network; Prof. (Dr.) Atul Goel, DGHS & Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); Ms Shailaja Teacher, MLA and Former-Health Minister, Govt of Kerala.
Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, President, Infection Control Academy and Chair, G-SPARC said, covid is nothing compared to “AMR”. Covid had a beginning and end. AMR is not like that. It is a slow pandemic and it will be an eternal pandemic. Due to the excessive usage of Antibiotics, even easily treatable diseases like Typhoid have become impossible to treat. AMR is invisible. 5 million have already died due to this and several million will be losing their lives. Due to the ineffectiveness of the antibiotics, every second infection treatment is failing in India and Africa.
He further added, AMR is threatening our health systems in ways that we cannot even imagine. This silent pandemic is the indiscriminate usage of antibiotics. Eight lakh people are dying each year in India because of not being treated with antibiotics. And this is likely to increase by 10 million deaths each year. This number may go up to 1 crore by 2050. Modern medicine may be in danger of extinction due to bacterial resistance infections. The excessive use of Antibiotics and Pain Killers is very dangerous. Since 1929 when Prof Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics i.e Penicillin, within 90-plus years different types of antibiotics were developed/produced. Now we are using the 6th generation of Antibiotics. Minimize the use of antibiotics and painkillers. We need to seek alternative measures, the experts attending G-SPARC 2024 will deliberate these many other things. The outcome marks a significant milestone in our fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
R. Govind Hari, Chairman of the Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation (PRASHO), and Co-chair, G-SPARC said, AMR containment is everyone’s business. Every citizen has a role to play in protecting the efficacy of antibiotics. An action plan on AMR by the state government will be released during the conference. A white paper on pandemic preparedness, prevention of pandemics etc will be released at the end of the conference. The Government of Telangana recognised the importance of this conference and sponsored the venue, ‘Shilpakalavedika’. Over 1600 (sixteen hundred) delegates are expected to participate and deliberate.
