“Antibiotics that can save lives are becoming ineffective. Part of the problem is that these critically important drugs are misused and overused in the food-producing animal sector for commercial gains. The covid-19 pandemic has re-emphasized the importance of medicines that can treat – we must conserve these medicines before this silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance swamps us completely,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment. To get full access to this story, "Subscribe Now", in just Re.1 for the next 24 hours.