Statement:
WAKE UP Call: New EU Action Plan to fight Antimicrobial resistance!
18 November 2016 – on European Antibiotics Awareness Day (EAAD) the European Commission announced the launch of a new Action Plan to fight Antimicrobial Resistance in 2017. The aim is to reduce the over or misuse of antibiotics across all relevant sectors in the EU Member States and worldwide.
The latest annual surveillance results published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control show that in 2015, antibiotic resistance continued to increase for most bacteria and antibiotics. A particular worry is the increase in resistance to antibiotics that are considered to be ‘last line’ to treat certain serious infections where there are no new antibiotics available. For years, society has relied on antibiotics as an indispensable weapon in the fight against infectious diseases.
Now antibiotic resistance has become one of the biggest threats to public health. Antibiotics are vital in reducing the risk of infectious diseases such as pneumonia, respiratory track infections, and complications in complex medical intervention such as hip replacements, organ transplants, cancer chemotherapy and the care of premature babies.
The EIWH calls on the Commission and EU Member States when implementing the new Action Plan to set strong targets for reducing anti-microbial resistance across all fields concerned. The time to act is now!
For more information:
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:
Commissioner Andriukaitis press release http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-16-3827_en.htm