Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widespread in the WHO European Region. Each year, more than 670 000 infections occur in the countries of the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) due to bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and approximately 33 000 people die as a direct consequence of these infections.
For non-EU countries and the easternmost part of the WHO European Region, this number may be even higher, but there is insufficient data to provide a clear picture of the situation.
In the EU/EEA countries, the health burden of AMR is comparable to that of influenza, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined, according to estimates from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Urgent action is therefore required on the part of individuals, doctors and governments to ensure that common illnesses remain treatable.
“COVID-19 has hit us hard. But while fighting one health emergency, we cannot let our guard down in the fight against other health threats. Six years ago, AMR was declared one of the major health threats to humans, and the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance was developed. But awareness and a sense of urgency is still lacking among politicians and in countries around the world,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“Despite the focus on the ongoing pandemic, we need to keep up our efforts to further reduce unnecessary antibiotic use,” said Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director. “We also need to improve infection prevention and control practices in hospitals and other health-care settings to significantly reduce the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.”
Improved planning but implementation hampered by lack of data and funds
Most Member States of the WHO European Region realized the need for action and have enhanced efforts to tackle AMR; 85% of countries in the Region have developed national action plans on AMR – 5 years ago that figure stood at 50%.
However, plans alone are not enough, the challenge ahead is to ensure comprehensive implementation and adequate funding for the action plans. Fully 20% of countries report either having no capacity for generating AMR surveillance data or are collecting AMR data only at the local level and without a standardized or harmonized approach. Without such data, it is difficult to know the extent of the problem and to find appropriate solutions.
Advocacy for rational use of antimicrobials
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is observed every year on 18–24 November with the aim of raising awareness of the threat that AMR poses and encouraging best practices to combat its further spread.
On the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, we take a look at some of the efforts countries in the Region are making to address AMR.
- In Armenia, the development of clinical guidelines for primary health care physicians has increased the likelihood that antimicrobials will be used properly.
- In Italy, a “One Health” approach is being used to tackle AMR, through the combination of human health and animal health under its Ministry of Health.
- In Ukraine, a digital marketing campaign is educating target groups on proper antibiotics usage, getting them to first consult a doctor about antibiotics, instead of self-diagnosing.
