On Thursday 17 November, on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Commission released the results of a special Eurobarometer survey on antibiotics.
There are some worrying results: almost one in two Europeans believe that antibiotics can be effective against viruses. In addition, about 8% of antibiotics were taken without a prescription.
Other results are more encouraging: 23% of respondents have taken oral antibiotics in the last 12 months: the lowest percentage since the Eurobarometer started monitoring this issue in 2009. In the view of the Commission, which stresses that much remains to be done, this reflects the efforts of Member States to combat the misuse of antibiotics.
According to a 17 November publication by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), more than 35,000 people die each year from antibiotic-resistant infections across the European Union and the European Economic Area.
Andrea Ammon, the Director of ECDC, shared her concerns about the increase in deaths resulting from antimicrobial-resistant infections during the years 2016-2020, particularly regarding infections that are resistant to last-line antimicrobial treatments. Ms Ammon called for increased efforts to reduce antibiotic use and to ensure adequate microbiological capacity at national level.
On the same day, the European Commission published a report on the review of the National Action Plans (NAPs) entitled ‘One Health’ examining antimicrobial resistance since September 2021. The report also includes a list of actions undertaken by the European Commission to assist Member States on this issue.
Finally, the Commission published an opinion of the Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in health to manage antibiotic resistance in health systems.
Link to the special Eurobarometer: https://aeur.eu/f/44b
Link to the ECDC publication package: https://aeur.eu/f/449
Link to the review of national plans: https://aeur.eu/f/44d
Link to the expert opinion: https://aeur.eu/f/44e (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)