Health Department to hold antibiotic literacy drive in panchayats-OxBig News Network

The Health Department will organise an antibiotic literacy campaign in 343 panchayats in the State to create awareness against indiscriminate drug intake.

Titled “Saukhyam Sada”, the State-level inauguration of the campaign will be carried out by Health Minister Veena George in Pathanamthitta on December 22.

The initiative is being carried out as part of the SPARK (Students Programme Against Antimicrobial Resistance Kerala) programme of the State Drugs Control Department in association with the National Service Scheme (NSS), an official statement said.

The programme is being organised with the objective of raising awareness in society by enabling students to realise the consequences of unscientific drug intake habits in the modern world, it said.

Under the drive, over 17,000 NSS volunteer students would visit houses in the 343 panchayats and create awareness about the ill-effects of unscientific antibiotic usage.

The State government and the Drugs Control Department have already been carrying out several campaigns against the indiscriminate usage of antibiotics and the “Saukhyam Sada” is the next phase of these initiatives, it added.