Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is recognized by WHO as a global health threat. Which of the following contributes to AMR?

Explanation

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, making infections harder or even impossible to treat. WHO identifies misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants as the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens. That is why option A fits the question: unnecessary antibiotic use, wrong use, self-medication, incomplete treatment and use in livestock feed all increase selection pressure for resistant microorganisms. The issue is not limited to hospitals; WHO frames AMR as a global public health and development threat requiring coordinated action. India also launched its National Action Plan on AMR in 2017, reflecting the policy relevance of this topic.

Why the other options are wrong

• (B) Proper hand hygiene prevents the spread of infections, so it reduces situations in which antibiotics may be used rather than driving AMR.
• (C) Completing a prescribed antibiotic course is a protective practice; incomplete treatment, not proper completion, is listed as a contributor to AMR.
• (D) Vaccination against bacterial diseases helps prevent infections and can reduce the need for antibiotics, so it works against AMR pressure.

Concept

This tests the public-health part of Science and Technology: how drug resistance emerges and why antimicrobial stewardship matters. RAS repeats AMR because it connects health policy, One Health and India's national action planning.

Source

• World Health Organization

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