Antibiotic resistance, Kyriakides calls for responsible use culture

Brussels – The figures have not changed. Then there is no news. Worse, there is no good news – because the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance continues and continues to be a problem that the European Commission intends to address. the Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakidesin front European Antibiotic Daywant to keep the focus on what is the real problem in the present.

“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to health of our timewith unacceptably high human costs,” points out Kyriakides. “It is responsible before sore 35 thousand deaths every year in The European Economic Area area,” – meaning the EU countries plus Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein – with around 4.95 million deaths globally, and “without urgent action, it could cause nearly 40 million deaths worldwide by 2050.”

The underlying problem is cultural and related to substance abuse. Using antibiotics when not strictly necessary leads to the human body developing resistance to the drug itself, which in the moment of need ceases to take effect. This means that it is basically as if you do not receive treatment in case of illness. This is the cause of the many, far too many premature deaths, all of which are preventable. A silent massacre of ever-increasing scope, since in the last decade, the number of victims of antimicrobial resistance has grown. Kyriakides talks about around 35 thousand deaths a year, while the figures in 2014 ten years ago showed 25 thousand deaths.

“The fight against antibiotic resistance is not just a matter of policy and investment, as crucial as they are,” Kyriakides emphasizes, calling on civil society to think about “the responsible use, for ourselves and our children, of antibioticsas well as basic hygiene measures and infection prevention.” The key to responding to this challenge is by raising awareness, such as the European Day explicitly targeting and dedicated to the topic. “Together, by raising awareness and making informed choices, we can each help in reducing the rise and impact of antimicrobial resistance.”

The EU is determined to do its part. The goal, the health commissioner reminds us, is “to lead efforts for a UN commitment to reduce global deaths related to antimicrobial resistance by 10 percent by 2030. An international commitment that, if fulfilled, would mean saving 495,000 lives.

English version of Translation service by Withub