Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to human health. Seek advice before taking antibiotics. Every year, about 35,000 people die from infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The devastating consequences of antibiotic resistance are becoming increasingly apparent.

These are the key messages of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day celebrated every year on November 18 by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance cannot be fixed with easy technical interventions and the issue must be addressed at all levels of society, emphasizes Stathis Skliros, General Practitioner and president of the Hellenic Society for Research and Education in Primary Health Care.

“Every use, whether appropriate or not, can promote the emergence of bacterial resistance. Unfortunately, inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics is common in both high- and low-income countries. While legal regulation of antibiotic sales has worked in some parts of the world, in other places these restrictions are difficult to implement in practice. That said, enforcement of the regulation of inappropriate use could have a direct impact on maintaining the effectiveness of these life-saving drugs,” emphasizes Mr. Skliros. For example, he adds, antibiotics are not recommended for most sore throats since they are not effective against the viruses that cause 8 out of 10 sore throats.

“The inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to the destruction of beneficial bacteria and eventually bacterial infections will become untreatable,” he adds.

The representatives of the Hellenic Society for Research and Education in Primary Health Care note that the global spread of antibiotic resistance requires coordination of efforts beyond national borders, through cooperation within and between governments, civil society organizations and international organizations. However, so far, this cooperation is often only in its initial stages, he points out Alexis Sotiropoulos, treasurer of the Hellenic Society for Research and Education in PPH.

“Despite increased awareness of antimicrobial resistance as a public health threat and the availability of evidence-based guidelines for infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship and adequate microbiological competence, public health action to address the issue remains insufficient” , he notes. Stronger interventions and actions to tackle AMR are urgently needed, he stresses, which would have a significant positive impact on population health and future healthcare spending in the EU.