by Prof. Benoit Vallet, Director General for Health, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, France

Antimicrobial resistance has come up to the frontline of international health security concerns over the past decade. The European action plan on AMR has helped to raise awareness about the need to elaborate comprehensive national plans. Still, given the challenge, more efforts have to be made both by EU countries and by key actors beyond the health or medical and scientific field, including the European Union.

It is our belief that each actor in the field of AMR should focus on its main added value to ensure greater coherence in the global movement against microbial resistance. Addressing AMR is everyone's responsibility. The Council conclusions on antimicrobial resistance adopted under the Dutch EU Presidency are a clear signal that declarations have to be turned into action.

The forthcoming Joint Action on AMR and Healthcare associated infections, funded under Health Programme, aims to enable Member States and stakeholders (e.g. WHO Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to intensify their efforts to achieve concrete results reducing the burden of AMR. Coordinated by France, it will elaborate on existing works, involve key players and follow commonly agreed objectives. It is in our view the best way forward.

Nationally, we are committed to revising our national strategy under the One Health approach. The Interministerial Committee on Health was created to address key health priorities and define the strategic orientation of the whole government. In November, it will endorse the Roadmap on AMR that will guide our action on AMR in the coming years.