Brussels, 10/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 10 June in Luxembourg, EU member state health ministers adopted conclusions on microbial resistance.
The Council instructs member states to: - elaborate and implement a strategy and translate it into an action plan with concrete inter-sectoral measures and other relevant action; - strengthen the monitoring system and improve the quality of data on resistance to anti-microbial agents and the use of the latter in the human and veterinary health care sectors, as well as on the infections linked to healthcare; - continue to promote a cautious use of antibiotics in human and veterinary health care sectors by awareness campaigns in the human health care sector (through credible messages and action based on scientific foundations and proved data, which includes information to people on the risks of inappropriate use of medicine and self-medication), and by awareness campaigns in the veterinary sector that target sector professionals, including vets; - encourage update and use of guidelines on best practices to implement in connection with pharmaco-resistant infections, which have significant repercussions on public health; - improve treatment of TB-MR patients (multi-resistant tuberculosis) and TB-UR (ultra-resistant tuberculosis), including the fight against infection, necessary precautions, such as quarantine, contact tracing, prophylactic methods and the use of anti-tuberculosis medicines in compliance with international guidelines, such as the WTO's “Stop Tuberculosis” campaign; - inspect the prevalence among animals and foodstuffs of pathogenic agents responsible for infections from food (that can be) resistant, by applying risk management strategies in foodstuff production and after harvests, as well as other preventive measures, including (according to the prevailing situation in a given country) the use of vaccinations to reduce the impact of infections. The Commission particularly calls for: 1) support through the 7th RDFP, if necessary, for research into new antimicrobial agents and rapid diagnosis and sensitivity tests, for epidemiology and resistance mechanisms to antimicrobial agents, as well as for measures to combat antimicrobial resistance based on proven data, including their cost-efficiency relationship; and 2) particular attention to be paid to candidate and potential candidate countries by helping them set up the desired monitoring, prevention and inspection structures involving micro-bodies that are resistant to antimicrobial agents. (O.J./transl. rh)