29th meeting of health ministers of 11 South East Asian countries today adopted the Jaipur declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance committing to preserving the efficacy of antibiotics through rational use and regulation. Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the meeting and 64th session of the WHO committee for south East Asia taking place in Jaipur.

Mr Azad said that the region has almost one quarter of the world population and it is important to continue to find solutions specific to problems affecting the health of people. He said that there is a need to institute effective measures to prevent control and manage non communicable diseases since they are the main cause of mortality and disability. Azad said that the Government is committed to provide adequate resources for the health sector.

On this occasion Director General of WHO, Dr MARGARET CHAN said that several health challenges of 21st century will require multi sectoral policies and activities by the governments. She said that we cannot allow the loss of essential medicines, essential cures for many millions of people, to become the next global crisis.

By adopting the Jaipur Declaration on antimicrobial resistance the health ministers called for urgent measures to control further development of antimicrobial resistance. They acknowledged that the most important driver of antimicrobial resistance is the irrational use of these agents and national governments must take urgent action to preserve the efficacy of existing antimicrobial agents.

The Declaration underscores concern at the spread of antimicrobial resistance which is negating achievements made in protecting human life and health. It recognized that such resistance could become a critical impediment in global efforts to wards containing HIV/AIDS. tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

The ministers committed to develop national antibiotic' policies' to regulate the use of antimicrobial agents and to be vigilant about the emergence and spread of further resistance. The WHO regional committee will discuss several important health issues also including strengthening the community based health workforce, intensification of routine immunization' universal health coverage, nutrition and HIV.