Trends in the hospital-sector consumption of the WHO AWaRe Reserve group antibiotics in EU/EEA countries and the United Kingdom, 2010 to 2018

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health concern. The main driver of AMR development is the consumption of antimicrobial agents. Overall, in the European Union/European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (EU/EEA/UK), it is estimated that nearly one third of patients admitted to acute care hospitals are receiving at least one antimicrobial agent. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimated that, each year, there are ca 4.5 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in acute care hospitals in the EU/EEA/UK. Approximately one-third of HAIs for which a microbiological result was obtained, was associated with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.