G-SPARC 2024 to Be Held in Hyderabad Revanth Reddy to Inaugurate Conference and Launch State AMR Plan

Hyderabad: The Telangana Chief Minister, Shri A. Revanth Reddy, is set to be the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the prestigious three-day conference, G-SPARC 2024 (Global South Conference on Infection Prevention, Control, and Antimicrobial Stewardship), to be held from October 3 to 5 at Shilpakala Vedika in Hitech City, Madhapur.

During the conference, CM Revanth Reddy will also unveil the state’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) plan, making Telangana the seventh state in India to implement such a plan. Currently, only six states have this initiative in place.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Damodar Rajanarsimha, will be the guest of honor at the event. The conference aims to provide a platform for stakeholders from the Global South—including resource-limited countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America—to collaborate on better policies and practices for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS), and pandemic preparedness.

Notable speakers at G-SPARC 2024 include Dr. Anuj Sharma from the WHO India Office, Prof. Chedly Azzouz, Chairperson of the Infection Control Africa Network, and Prof. (Dr.) Atul Goel, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri, President of the Infection Control Academy and Chair of G-SPARC, emphasized the critical nature of AMR, stating, “COVID-19 is nothing compared to AMR. It is a slow, ongoing pandemic with no end in sight.” He warned that the excessive use of antibiotics has made even treatable diseases like typhoid increasingly difficult to manage, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

The conference is organized by the Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI), the University of Hyderabad (UoH), and the Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation (PRASHO), with support from over a hundred partners in academia, industry, and healthcare.

An action plan addressing AMR will be released during the conference, alongside a white paper on pandemic preparedness. Over 1,600 delegates are expected to attend, contributing to vital discussions on combating antimicrobial resistance and protecting public health.