Poultry farmers in India will no longer be able to use Colistin – one of the last resort antibiotics used to treat humans. The Indian government has banned the use of Colistin in a bid to try and halt the spread of some of the globe’s most deadly superbugs. It follows a Bureau of Investigative Journalism investigation which revealed that it was widely being used in animal feed to fatten poultry and other livestock. The drug cannot be used as a veterinary medicine for farm animals. The investigation found that hundreds of tonnes of Colistin were shipped to India in 2016 and that the drug was sold by international and domestic pharmaceutical companies without requiring a prescription. The Indian Ministry of Health has issued a notification prohibiting the “manufacture, sale and distribution of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements as it is likely to involve risk to human beings.” The ban follows recommendations earlier this year by India’s leading drug advisory body, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, as well as the National Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan committee. See also: Argentina: No more colistin in veterinary products Dr Abdul Ghafur, an infectious diseases doctor who advises the committee, welcomed the ban: “The Indian government is convinced that Colistin is a ‘last resort’ antibiotics. Colistin resistance is increasing in clinical practice and Colistin is extensively used in poultry and aqua farming as a growth promoting agent”, and such practice should stop. Scientists believe the discovery inn 2015 of a Colistin-resistant gene that can pass between bacteria originated in livestock in China. It has since been found across 5 continents. Read: India: Colistin sold to poultry farms without prescription Tim Walsh, professor at Cardiff University, who research team discovered the mobile Colistin-resistant gene, said the Indian ban was a welcome step but monitoring and enforcing it was crucial. “It shows an element of commitment by the central Indian government, but whether this has any traction at state level or local level remains to be seen. But even if its impact is not what we might hope for, at least it’s adding to a message that we need to once and for all separate those drugs that we use in animals from those that we use in humans.”
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CONTRIBUTOR To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. On July 19, 2019, the Central Government banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements with immediate effect1 . The regulatory measure was taken to ensure the cautious use of anti-microbial agents in humans and animals to tackle the issue of anti-microbial resistance. The announcement follows the 81st Meeting of Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) held on November 29, 2018 which recommended the ban of colistin. The DTAB deliberated the representation received from Dr Abdul Ghafur, Coordinator, Chennai Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance, which demanded an immediate ban of growing promotional use of Colistin in poultry and aqua farming. The DTAB conducted a detailed examination of the matter with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer's Welfare and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), MoHFW, has concluded that the use of Colistin as feed premix/feed supplement, is likely to involve risk to human beings. Now, the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by section 26A2 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and also agreeing with DTAB recommendation, has announced the immediate ban of Colistin for the use of promoting growth in livestock. in addition to the ban, the Government has also directed the manufacturers of said drug and its formulations to follow labelling requirement for the drugs and mention the words "NOT TO BE USED IN FOOD PRODUCING ANIMALS, POULTRY, AQUA FARMING AND ANIMAL FEED SUPPLEMENTS" in a conspicuous manner on the package insert and promotional literature. About Colistin and AMRAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global threats to human health, driven by the overuse of antimicrobials in people, and also in animals, especially those used for food production, as well as in the environment. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others. Colistin is an antibiotic produced by certain strains of the bacteria Paenibacillus polymyxa. C. Colistin is effective against most Gram-negative bacilli and considered as a last resort drug for multidrug resistant gram-negative infections such as pneumonia and bacteremia in critically ill patients. Therefore, the WHO has marked Colistin as 'Reserved' antibiotic, and recommends to use it cautiously. ConclusionBanning non-therapeutic use of colistin in animals is a significant step to tackle colistin resistance, which is part of Indian National Action Plan on AMR. And also a part of multisectoral approaches of Global Action Plan to address AMR. Footnotes 1. http://www.egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/207345.pdf 2. Section 26A: Power of Central Government to prohibit manufacture, etc., of drug and cosmetic in public interest.— Without prejudice to any other provision contained in this Chapter, if the Central Government is satisfied, that the use of any drug or cosmetic is likely to involve any risk to human beings or animals or that any drug does not have the therapeutic value claimed or purported to be claimed for it or contains ingredients and in such quantity for which there is no therapeutic justification and that in the public interest it is necessary or expedient so to do, then, that Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, regulate, restrict or prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of such drug or cosmetic. The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
Khurana and Khurana Telemedicine basically means "healing at a distance". It is great for both patients and medical assistance provider. That there is no one definitive definition of telemedicine – a 2007 study... Nishith Desai Associates This year has seen a continuation of the medical device regulator's efforts (following notifications issued in February 2020) to regulate all medical devices in India in a phase-wise manner. The woes of the poultry farmers have been off the political radarThe Health Ministry has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of antibiotic, Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements in a bid to preserve the drug’s efficacy in humans. The ban has been imposed under provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and a notification in this regard has been issued by the Centre. According to the notification, it was brought to the notice of the Central government that the use of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements is likely to involve risk to human beings. Following which the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the government’s top advisory body on technical matters related to drugs in the country considered the matter and recommended prohibiting the said drug, the notification stated. “The Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in public interest to prohibit manufacture, sale and distribution of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements. “Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred by section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 the government hereby prohibits manufacture, sale and distribution of the following drug with immediate effect, Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements,” the notification read. According to a ministry official, the antibiotic is being used as a last resort for treatment of patients suffering from infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. “Colistin is an antibiotic for therapeutic purpose in veterinary. But the drug is highly misused in poultry industry as a growth promoter for prophylactic purpose.One of the reason for antibiotic resistance in India is due to unwanted use of Colistin in poultry industry. This notification will prevent use of the drug for prophylactic use,” the official said. |