Urgent action needed to combat antimicrobial resistance and achieve the EU’s 2030 targets

Between 2019 and 2023, antibiotic operate in the EU increased by 1%, marking a further departure from the 2030 target of reducing antibiotic operate by 20% recommended by the Council of the European Union.

Although there has been a significant reduction in methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections during the same period, the situation in other critical areas such as carbapenem resistance Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections have worsened, with the incidence increasing by almost 60% between 2019 and 2023. This poses an increasing risk to patients in hospitals across the EU, especially as there are very few therapeutic options available to treat patients infected with carbapenem-resistant drugs K. pneumonia.

Achieving the EU’s 2030 targets requires a unified, urgent response across the EU to prevent AMR from undermining healthcare. This response is crucial to protecting patients and maintaining the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations.”

Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of ECDC

To highlight the sedate threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), ECDC has published a series of patient stories to give a voice to those who have experienced long hospital stays, uncertain recovery and complicated treatment due to AMR. The stories also tell of the impact these infections have had on the lives of patients and their families.

While some Member States have made great progress towards, or in some cases already achieved, the recommended antimicrobial resistance targets, the overall picture shows that more specific and stepped-up interventions are urgently needed across the EU.

To turn the tide in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, ECDC calls for accelerating efforts in three main areas: infection prevention and control, prudent operate of antimicrobials, and the development of and access to modern antimicrobials.

Healthcare-associated infections account for 70% of the health burden of antimicrobial resistance in the EU. Therefore, hospitals must prioritize basic and critical infection prevention and control measures, such as:
• improving hand hygiene and enabling simple access to alcohol-based hand disinfection solutions,
• increasing the number of screening tests for the carriage of resistant bacteria to stop the growing trend of carbapenem resistance Klebsiella pneumoniae,
• increasing the ability to isolate positive patients by providing a sufficient number of single rooms,
• increasing the number of specialized infection prevention and control staff and providing appropriate training.

The community sector accounts for 90% of total human antibiotic operate. Reducing antibiotic operate requires more public information and awareness campaigns, complemented by social and behavioral interventions, to prevent unnecessary operate.

ECDC continues to promote the development of, and access to, modern antimicrobials and alternatives to antimicrobials that are both effective and protected for humans. These types of antimicrobials are imperative in the treatment of patients with infections that are resistant to last-line antibiotics such as carbapenems.

In the absence of stronger and faster public health action, the EU is unlikely to achieve all its targets by 2030. The consequence will be an raise in infections with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria that will be more complex to treat, leading to an increased challenge for patients and more deaths related to antimicrobial resistance.

ECDC is committed to supporting Member States in achieving their 2030 antimicrobial resistance targets and has a range of measures to aid them address identified gaps and strengthen national capacities. These include individual country visits on antimicrobial resistance and regular assessments of public health emergency preparedness in all EU/EEA countries, with the main areas of focus being antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.