Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

Today’s 12-point plan by the EU Commission to tackle the severe health risks and financial costs arising from the growing problem of drug resistant bacteria in humans and animals was described by Mairead McGuinness, Ireland East Fine Gael MEP as “timely and badly needed.”

Speaking from Strasbourg on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day tomorrow, Friday, she said: “This is a very wide-ranging plan involving preventative measures, improved monitoring and surveillance as well as research and development to find new antibiotic solutions.”

And she said to achieve maximum success it would require close co-operation across all member States of the EU as well as between all players within each State, such as healthcare professionals, the wider health industry, farmers and others.

About 25,000 patients die each year in the EU from infections caused by drug resistant bacteria. And it is estimated that there are related costs of over 1.5 billion euros in healthcare expenses and productivity losses.

A full list of the actions announced today follows:

The Action Plan covers seven areas:

- Making sure antimicrobials are used appropriately both in 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

- Research and Innovation

- Communication, Education and Training

It sets out 12 concrete actions to:

- Improve awareness raising on the appropriate use of antimicrobials

- Strengthen EU law on veterinary medicines and on medicated feed

- Introduce recommendations for prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine, including follow-up reports

- Strengthen infection prevention and control in hospitals, clinics, etc.

- Introduce legal tools to tighten prevention and control of infections in animals in the new EU Animal Health Law

- Promote unprecedented collaboration to bring new antimicrobials to patients

- Promote efforts to analyse the need for new antibiotics in veterinary medicine

- Develop and/or strengthen multilateral and bilateral commitments for the prevention and control of AMR

- Strengthen surveillance systems on AMR and antimicrobial consumption in human medicines

- Strengthen surveillance systems on AMR and antimicrobial consumption in animal medicines

- Reinforce and co-ordinate research

- Improve communication on AMR to the public.