Reducing the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicines is vital to stop the appearance of resistant microorganisms. To raise awareness about this issue, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) founded the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) which aims to provide a platform and support for national campaigns about prudent antibiotic use. Over the years, European Antibiotic Awareness Day – marked annually on 18 November – has developed into a platform of global reach, partnering up with many countries outside the EU as well as relevant stakeholders, in line with the Commission’s “One-Health” approach to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
The Commission’s 2011 Action Plan against the rising threats from AMR contains 12 actions for implementation with EU Member States and identifies 7 areas where measures are most needed:
•making sure antimicrobials are used appropriately in both humans and animals
• preventing microbial infections and their spread
• developing new effective antimicrobials or alternatives for treatment
• cooperating with international partners to contain the risks of AMR
• improving monitoring and surveillance in human and animal medicine
• promoting research and innovation
• improving communication, education and training
The evaluation of the Commission’s Action plan published in October 2016 shows that this had a clear added value acting as a symbol of political commitment, stimulating several actions within Member States, and has served to strengthen international cooperation. The Action Plan has also provided a framework to guide and coordinate activities on AMR at international level in the area of monitoring and surveillance and on R&D.
Download the action plan and its evaluation on European Commission website.
