Why is AMR called the ‘silent pandemic’? 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is aptly known as the ‘silent pandemic’, because even though drug-resistant bacteria take up to at least 35,000 lives in the EU every year, with an estimation of 10 million deaths globally per year (costing the world economy up to USD 100 trillion) by 2050, the problem very seldom takes up column space in our newspapers. And this is surprising when we step back and consider that AMR kills as many citizens every year as HIV, tuberculosis, and influenza combined.

Not only is there very little said about AMR, but recent surveys show that only 39% of people still believe that antibiotics work against viruses, something that is just not true.

Our use - or rather our over-use - of antimicrobials must be questioned if we are to win this battle that claims the lives of millions around the world every year. AMR needs to be tackled head-on before this ‘silent pandemic’ becomes our next global crisis. 

What is the Commission doing to tackle AMR?

Much progress has already been achieved in the veterinary sector, notably through the Regulation on veterinary medicinal prouducts. It provides for an array of complementary measures aimed at ensuring prudent and responsible use of animicrobials in animals and as such, it is one of the main tools for achieving the target on the reduction of antimicrobial sales for farmed animals and aquaculture set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy. One notable measure adopted in the EU is the establishment, for the first time, of a list of antimicrobials that cannot be used in animals in order to preserve their efficacy to treat infections in humans.

We are currently implementing the second Action Plan against AMR, which highlights the importance of the One Health approach and two main actions have been proposed as part of the Pharmaceutical Package adopted on 26 April 2023: 1) the revision of the pharmaceutical legislation includes measures to enhance the prudent use of antibiotics as well as new incentives in the form of transferable exclusivity vouchers (TEVs) to overcome market failures in the development of new, safe and effective antibiotics; and 2) a proposal for a Council Recommendation on AMR complements the 2017 AMR action plan.

Looking ahead, the EU4Health programme will once more prove its worth with plans in place to roll out EUR 50 million for joint action on AMR to support Member States in their national efforts, including the future implementation of the Council Recommendation. Set to be operational as from 2024, this investment will boost Member States’ AMR national action plans, infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, access to antibiotics and awareness-raising.

We are also working closely with our global friends such as the U.S., Canada, Norway and the UK under the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR), with the Commission hosting the next in-person TATFAR meeting in Luxembourg in November 2023. 

As with COVID-19, we are leading this global fight. The Commission advocates for the inclusion of AMR in a Global Agreement on Pandemic Preparedness and Response. The Commission also wants to move the conversation forward in the context of the G7 and G20 to put more emphasis on key aspects such as prevention and control of infections, anti-microbial stewardship, and improving surveillance data, among others.

Staying in our respective corners and working alone simply won’t work. It didn’t work with COVID-19, and it won’t with AMR. Only cooperation on a global scale will suffice.

How will the Council recommendation on AMR currently being negotiated contribute to the fight against AMR?

The Council Recommendation aims at strengthening One Health national actions plans on AMR, surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and consumption: infection prevention and control as well as antimicrobial stewardship and prudent use of antimicrobials.

The recommendation includes EU and national targets for AMR and antimicrobial consumption in human health and promotes awareness raising, education, research & development, and incentives for innovation and access to antimicrobials and other AMR medical countermeasures. Finally, it calls for increased cooperation between the Member States and enhanced global actions, as the EU alone cannot tackle this pandemic.

The AMR and consumption targets were designed with the support of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and consider many factors such as the different levels of AMR in the Member States and will allow for both the targeted support and for monitoring the progress across the EU in the coming years. As we speak today, the proposal is under negotiation at the Council.  

Why do we need to tackle health threat challenges through a ‘One health’ approach?

AMR is a One Health, cross-border and cross-cutting issue. This means that it affects humans, animals and plants, as well as the environment, impacting healthcare and food production systems. This also means that it should be tackled in all these sectors, involving a wide range of stakeholders, and at all levels, including at global level.

The EU and the Member States have different levels of competence across the One Health approach. In addition, AMR affects Member States differently, some countries facing more challenges than others in tackling AMR and applying the One Health perspective.

Member States cross-sectoral cooperation and stakeholders' involvement are crucial to ensure the full and effective implementation of One Health AMR policies and actions and it is proposed to enhance this cooperation, particularly through the EU AMR One Health Network that we chair.

Setting up a dedicated Directorate to One Health is a clear indication of DG SANTE’s and the Commission’s intentions to draw lessons from COVID-19 and apply them when preparing for future health threats, while dealing with the task of preventing what we can prevent today – namely averting the worse consequences of AMR.

Though the Directorate itself may be new, we have all the experience, expertise, and dedication required to face up to AMR and other health threats. I count myself proud to be leading this team in our fight.

For more information on AMR, please visit:  Antimicrobial resistance (europa.eu)