The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), a collective of 45,000 doctors across the country, including 1,200 based in the city, has resolved to raise awareness among the masses about the haphazard use of antibiotics for ailments like cough.

Overuse of medicines categorised as antimicrobial, including antibiotics and antivirals, increases the risk of the body developing resistance to these medicines. “For something like a cough, parents give over-the-counter antibiotics like azithromycin for their children,” noted Dr Bela Verma, head of JJ`s paediatric department and a member of IAP.