EU must tackle the rising threat of microbial resistance, says EP health committee
MEPs emphasise the importance of prudent use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine
The widespread use of antimicrobials is threatening their effectiveness by increasing microbial resistance, says the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee. It wants the problem to be tackled by using antibiotics more cautiously, improving animal welfare and creating new business models to stimulate innovation.
MEPs have pledged to promote prudent use of antibiotics aimed at reducing non-essential and inappropriate exposure to antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, as well as livestock farming, agriculture, aquaculture and horticulture, in a non-binding resolution drafted by Anna Rosbach (ECR, Denmark).
The committee highlights the need to restrict the use of antimicrobials classified as critically important by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and calls on the European Commission to draft rules for the veterinary sector to limit the use of third and fourth generation antimicrobials that are critically important for humans.
‘If we do not take measures to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it will threaten our ability to conduct what is now routine medical practice, which relies on antimicrobials to protect patients from infection,’ said Rosbach.
‘The availability and efficacy of antimicrobials must be maintained, existing therapies must be protected, and we must implement additional measures to facilitate drug development and improve research.’
The report was adopted unanimously and will be voted in the plenary session in December.
Given the lack of development of new antibiotics, MEPs stress that new business models should be developed to split investment in R&D for new antibiotics and diagnostic tools from sales transactions. The possibility of subsidising research for new antimicrobials should be examined.
As infection prevention and control is a vital cornerstone against anti-microbial resistance, MEPs call on EU countries to improve infection control and promote good standards of hand hygiene in particular. They highlight the need for a change of attitude, practice and education among patients, farmers, pharmacists, medical doctors and veterinarians.