In the midst of Luxembourg’s development of a national action plan for responding to the growing threat posed by antibiotic resistance, Health Minister Lydia Mutsch and Agriculture Minister Fernand Etgen have called on the public to use the life-saving drugs rationally. 

The action plan for striking at one of the biggest threats to public health in Europe should be published at the end of the year. 

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has evolved from repeated and inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals. As a result, an increasing number of infections are becoming difficult to treat, leading in turn to longer hospitalisations, increased medical expenses and increased mortality. 

According to EU figures, 25,000 deaths per year are due to infections that have become resistant to all antibiotics. 

Since the human and animal domains present overlapping reservoirs of resistance, a joint initiative led by the ministries of health and agriculture advocate an integrated “One-Health” strategy that aims to integrate all dimensions — human, animal and environmental — of the problem. 

The overall objective of the plan is to reduce the emergence, development and transmission of resistance to antibiotics in Luxembourg. 

Although no encompassing strategy has been in place so far, Luxembourg has been able to reduce vulnerability in the last few years through public information campaigns and a 7% reduction in the number of antibiotics in ambulatory treatment. 

Furtheromre, in accordance with European regulations, the use of antibiotic growth factor-promoting additives in animal feed in Luxembourg has been prohibited since 2006.

The action plan will include increased recording and surveillance of antibiotic use, particularly on animals. 

"With a view to the rational use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine in Luxembourg, several actions will be developed in the future, such as the establishment of reliable statistics on the effective use of antibiotics at the level of livestock farms, high biosecurity at the level of the farms or the use of vaccines available for certain pathologies in animal husbandry," said Agriculture Minister Fernand Etgen.

At the same time, the Veterinary Services Administration is working on the development of a database of antibiotic consumption for livestock for all farms in Luxembourg. 

"The excessive and abusive use of these 'miracle drugs' in human and veterinary medicine jeopardises their effectiveness,” said the Minister of Health. "It is all the more important to improve awareness and understanding about them.”