Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to public health and modern healthcare, in Europe and globally. Different activities against AMR are going on within the European Community. This document includes summaries of AMR activities from the participating Member States, EC and ECDC.
Year: 2010
Article number: 2010-2-4
ISBN: 978-91-86301-90-3
Format: Rygghäftning
Pages: 25
Language: Engelska
Price (VAT included): 42 kr
Recommendation
Summary
The four latest EU Presidencies have raised activities against AMR to high priority in the Community. To summarize activities performed and to support future Presidencies to continue working in this field, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare invited representatives from these countries, together with representatives for upcoming Presidencies, the Commission (SANCO and RTD) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to an informal meeting in Stockholm 17 November 2009. Summaries of performed and planned AMR activities are included separately in this document.
Meeting in Stockholm 17 November 2009
Participating Member States
Slovenia
Ten years after the Copenhagen meeting the Slovenian Presidency chose AMR as a health priority topic. A joint meeting with AMR National Focal Points and Chief Medical Officers (CMO) was held in Ljubljana 14 March 2008. Several MS reported on their activities to implement the Council Recommendations on prudent use of antibiotics. In the conclusion of the joint meeting the responsibility of the EU Community and the member states for the implementation of the Council Recommendations was re-emphasized and the European Antibiotic Awareness Day was introduced.
France
During the French Presidency, a European workshop on public awareness communication on the prudent use of antibiotics was arranged 6–7 November 2008. The objective was to share experiences and ideas to enhance efforts on communicating the AMR problem. Preparations for the first European Antibiotic Awareness Day were also on the agenda.
The Czech Republic
The Czech approach to AMR was to focus on the importance of prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infections in healthcare settings. The conference “The Microbial Threat to Patient Safety in Europe” was held in Prague 15–16 April 2009. The main topics for this meeting were: (i) Hospital antibiotic stewardship, (ii) Influence of healthcare characteristics on antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infections, and (iii) Leadership and accountability.
Sweden
On 17 September 2009, the Swedish Presidency hosted an expert conference, Innovative Incentives for Effective Antibacterials. Two reports were presented, Policies and incentives for promoting innovation in antibiotic research and The bacterial challenge: Time to react. Together with a recent report from the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) these documents were discussed by groups of experts in three workshops preceding the conference. The outcome of these workshops as well as the presented reports formed a background for the discussions and outcome of the conference.
Belgium
Containing the burden of HCAI in hospitals, and also in the continuously growing number of potential patients in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF), are the major goals which will receive special attention during the Belgian EU presidency. Four workshops are planned: on Hand Hygiene, Indicators of hospital infection control and antimicrobial management, Point Prevalence Studies (PPS) in hospitals and PPS in Nursing Homes.
Hungary
The health of our children has been determined as the central priority of the Hungarian Presidency and plans are to include also AMR aspects in this. Focus for activities are planned to be on: promoting prudent use of antibiotics both in human and veterinary medicine. Promoting the development of novel antimicrobial agents, promoting effective infection control structures in European hospitals and raising awareness among the public and health professionals.
The European Community
Council Recommendations on prudent use of antibacterials in human medicine were adopted 2001 and on patient safety including the prevention of healthcare associated infections in 2009.
ECDC has National Focal Points for AMR activities in all Member States and in 2008 the 18th of November was introduced as the European Antibiotic Awareness Day.
Research in the AMR field has received 200 million € from EU the last ten years.
Council Conclusions were adopted in June 2008 on antimicrobial resistance and the first of December 2009 on innovative incentives for effective antibacterials.
A US-EU antimicrobial resistance task force was established at the high level summit 2009. The mission of the task force is to intensify cooperation in addressing urgent antimicrobial resistance issues focused on appropriate therapeutic use of antimicrobial drugs in the medical and veterinary communities, prevention of both healthcare- and community-associated drug-resistant infections, and strategies for improving the pipeline of new antimicrobial drugs. It has been suggested that the taskforce shall report back to the 2011 EU-US Summit by presenting a concrete action plan.
Future work against AMR
To contain the growing problem of antibacterial resistance there is a most urgent need to strengthen the efforts in all Member States and on Community level. To continue keeping AMR as one of the top priorities is an important issue for future EU Presidencies. At the meeting 17 November some aspects of special importance were pointed out:
- Continuing Council work with emphasis on coordination.
- Strengthen the collaboration between human and veterinary side.
- Optimizing the use of existing antibacterials.
- Development of health economic analyses for the costs of AMR and HCAI.
- Implementation and follow up of Council Recommendations in all MS.
- Consider the need for further legislation.
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