Antibiotic consumption increased by 0.6% in the European Union between 2019 and 2023, moving a little further away from the objective of a 20% reduction by 2030 set by the European Council, alerted the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Monday on the occasion of European Antibiotic Information Day. Belgium is one of the nine Member States whose consumption of antibiotics has decreased, but remains one of the European countries which uses them the most.
Certain objectives aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe have nevertheless evolved positively. Thus, the incidence (number of new cases per 100,000 people) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections decreased by 17.6% between 2019 and 2023, thus reaching the 2030 objective for this disease. Likewise, the number of people infected with a form of escherichia coli resistant to cephalosporins fell by 3.6% over the same period. However, there is still a way to go to reach the 10% reduction target.
On the other hand, the incidence of infections with the carbapenem-resistant form of Klebsiella pneumoniae jumped by 57.5% between 2019 and 2023, far from the 5% decrease hoped for by 2030.
In order to reverse the trend in the fight against AMR, the ECDC calls on EU Member States to step up their efforts in three areas: infection prevention and control, prudent use of antibiotics and the development and access to new antibiotics.
The center also emphasizes the need for hospitals, in which 70% of infections take place, to implement simple but essential measures such as improving hand hygiene and screening for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or even strengthen their capacity to isolate patients who test positive.
The first line of care (treating doctors, etc.) is responsible for 90% of antibiotic consumption, according to the ECDC. The latter therefore calls for more public awareness campaigns as well as interventions to change behavior in order to prevent the unnecessary use of this type of product.
In Belgium, the consumption of antibiotics decreased by 3% during the period 2019-2023. Nevertheless, with 20.6 doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day last year, the Belgians remain at the top of the ranking of the heaviest users of antibiotics in Europe.
Concerning infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Belgium has largely achieved its 2030 targets for Staphylococcus aureus (-21% since 2019) and Escherichia coli (-23%). On the other hand, and like many European countries, it has experienced a sharp increase in cases of infection with the resistant form of Klebsiella pneumoniae (+74%).
“In the absence of stronger and faster action on public health, the EU is unlikely to achieve all its targets by 2030,” the center warns. “This will result in an increase in the number of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria that will be more difficult to treat, leading to increasing difficulties for patients and an increase in the number of AMR-related deaths.”
In 2025, the ECDC will advise the European Commission in establishing guidelines for healthcare establishments. Every year, antimicrobial-resistant diseases kill 35,000 people in Europe.
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