Data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): use of antibiotics in the EU decreases but more needs to be done

On the eve of European Antibiotics Awareness Day (EAAD), a pan-European survey on antimicrobial resistance shows that half of Europeans still incorrectly believe that antibiotics kill viruses. At the same time, 23 % of respondents have taken antibiotics over the past year, the lowest figure since 2009 and clearly showing that the work of Member States and the Commission to help raise awareness among citizens on the risks of excessive use of antibiotics is paying off. Much more however needs to be done.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is posing one of the greatest risks to human health and is one of the top 3 health threats identified by the Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) that require coordination measures at EU level. New data published today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that, throughout the European Union, Iceland, and Norway, more than 35 000 people die each year due to antibiotic-resistant infections. Such infections cause an additional €1.5 billion in healthcare costs and productivity losses in the EU.