Exhibition on Anti-Microbial Resistance organized at Nehru Science Centre

It is important to educate people about superbugs and abuse of antibiotics: Prof M.M. Sharma
AMR shooting up in India because of improper consumption of antibiotics: Dr. Farokh E. Udwadia

: Mumbai, December 18, 2019

An exhibition to create awareness on ‘superbugs’, that is, microbes which become resistant to antibiotics, has started at Nehru Science Centre, here today. Titled ‘Superbugs: The End of Antibiotics?’, this travelling exhibition has been jointly developed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Science Museum, Group, London, Wellcome Trust (UK) and is supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).The exhibition has been inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Prof. M. M. Sharma, Emeritus Professor of Eminence, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai; along with eminent physician Padma Bhushan Dr. Farokh E. Udwadia; Mr. Crispin Simon, British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India and Ms. Helen Jones, Director, Global Engagement & Strategy, Science Museum Group, UK in presence of other  dignitaries.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is turning out to be a major global public health problem which needs urgent attention. AMR is the ability of microorganisms (bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites) to overcome the effect of antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungal, antiparasitic agents) and continue to proliferate. Antibacterial resistance (ABR) refers to the ability of bacteria to overcome the effect of antibiotics and continue to multiply. While all types of AMR are concerning, ABR is currently posing the most serious health threat, particularly for India, with serious implications.

Lauding the awareness-building exhibition, Prof. M. M. Sharma said, it is important to educate people about superbugs. The abuse of antibiotics is so much rampant, that, patients under treatment have to first get a list of the antibiotics to which they are resistant, which was not the case some years ago. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Farokh E. Udwalia stated, AMR, particularly in India, is shooting up because of improper consumption of antibiotics. Antibiotics are available as over-the-counter medicines which poses to be a problem, said the eminent physician. He called for ‘regulated use’ and discipline in form of prescription for antibiotics. “There has to be certain amount of awareness and education about how dangerous it is to consume antibiotics without a reason and without prescription from a doctor”, he said. Pharmacists should also be made aware about it, he added. In absence of awareness about this, spread of antimicrobial resistance is not going to reduce, he stated. Eating poultry meat where animals are injected with antibiotics also leads to spread of AMR, he further said.

The exhibition has three major sections: Microscopic, Human and Global. Microscopic Section explores the hidden world of bacteria. Be it their size or characteristics, evolution of superbugs or history of antibiotics; the exhibits of this section will take you on a journey in which you can zoom into the world of microbes, explore the touchscreen multimedia to understand how bacteria evolve into superbugs or flip a digital e-book to know the history of antibiotics. Human Section showcases several stories, specifically from India, of how people are reaching out to combat the challenge of antibacterial resistance. When antibiotics stop working, lives are put at risk. People catch infections that can’t be treated. Hospitals find it difficult to keep the spread of bacteria under control. Farmers can’t treat their animals when they become ill. Our environment poses several risks for spreading ABR in human and animals as well. The section highlights how Doctors, Patients, Scientists, Researchers, Nurses, Campaigners, Pharmacist, Farmers all need to work in tandem to cope up with problem. The Global Sectionexplores the global initiatives in search of new antibiotics or alternate ways to combat the menace and the initiatives to create awareness on the issue.

This exhibition, designed in collaboration with London Science Museum, has been designed and adapted for raising awareness about AMR in India. In November 2016, both India and U.K. had come up with a new £13 million UK-India research program, which is aimed at conducting collaborative research across multiple disciplines to come up with comprehensive and creative solutions to overcome AMR. This exhibition will be on display at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli till February 16, 2020. The travelling exhibition started at New Delhi and will also be taken by NCSM to the cities of Bengaluru and Kolkata later. The Director of Nehru Science Centre, Shri Shivaprasad Khened and Director of NCSM HQ, Shri Samarendra Kumar were also present on the occasion.