The European Council has adopted the Recommendation on scaling up EU actions to fight AMR with a One Health approach“an important additional tool in combating antibiotic-resistant infections, investing as a priority in the targeted and aware use of antibiotics, supporting research and promoting rapid diagnostic tests and effective communication in a context One Health. Limiting the inappropriate use of antimicrobials is in fact crucial to reduce resistant infections in both humans and animals”.
This was stated by the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, on 13 June, in his speech at the Council of EU Health Ministers in Luxembourg.
Goals
For 2030, several targets have been set at EU level, defined together with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Here are the main ones:
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Take appropriate national measures to ensure that, by 2030, the total consumption of antibiotics in humans, community settings and hospital settings combined, including in long-term care settings and the home care setting, is reduced by 20% in the Union compared to the 2019 base year.
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Take appropriate national measures to ensure that, by 2030, at least 65% of total antibiotic consumption in humans corresponds to antibiotics of the group “Access” as defined in WHO AWaRe classification .
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Take appropriate national measures to ensure that, by 2030, the total incidence of blood-borne infections from Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin (MRSA) is reduced by 15% in the EU compared to the base year 2019.
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Take appropriate national measures to ensure that, by 2030, the total incidence of blood-borne infections from Escherichia coli resistant to third generation cephalosporins is reduced by 10% in the EU compared to the base year 2019.
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Take appropriate national measures to ensure that, by 2030, the total incidence of bloodstream infections with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is reduced by 5% in the EU compared to the base year 2019.
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Put in place appropriate measures to help achieve the goal of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Zero Pollution Action Plan of reducing overall EU sales of antimicrobials used in farmed animals and in aquaculture by 2030.
The recommendation also confirms the leadership international agreement on antimicrobial resistance and calls on the Commission and the Member States to include this issue in the pandemic agreement under negotiation. It also calls for keeping AMR high on the agenda of the G7 and G20.
Laws