Smart Regulation of Antibiotic Use in India Blog: Colistin ban in India
Fri 26 July 2019
On 19 July 2019, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India issued a notification prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of ‘Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements’ with immediate effect. The Ministry also directed the manufacturer of Colistin and its formulations to label the container of the drug and mention the following words in conspicuous manner on the package insert and promotional literature of the said drug and its formulations:
“NOT TO BE USED IN FOOD PRODUCING ANIMALS, POULTRY, AQUA FARMING AND ANIMAL FEED SUPPLEMENTS”.
Colistin is an antibiotic of ‘last resort’ for the treatment of human beings. However, according to a Bureau of Investigative Journalism report, Colistin is being widely used for growth promotion, in other words, as an additive to animal feed on poultry farms.
The notification is a very important development for the regulation of poultry farming as a source of antimicrobial resistance. It is pertinent to mention that the prohibition does not distinguish among different uses of Colistin in poultry, such as growth promotion and veterinary medicine.