On 22 and 23 October 2015, representatives of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the European Commission and the most renowned international experts gathered in the Grand Duchy to discuss antimicrobial resistance and its global threat to public health.
Held under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR) aims to develop an action strategy for Member States in this field over the next five years.
Both Europe and the United States have experienced the devastating consequences of antimicrobial resistance, with studies on the former having shown that 25,000 people die every year due to an inability to treat certain infections. It is for this reason that Minister of Health, Lydia Mutsch, and European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, advocated a united front between the EU and US during the opening session of the Forum, with a view to strengthening the fight against this worldwide public health threat.
Antibiotics are considered one of the most significant medical innovations of the 20th century and have become essential for all health systems. In recent decades, they have played a major role in reducing serious infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and meningitis, and have formed the basis of many modern medical successes.
However, antibiotics are among the most commonly used drugs worldwide and their rising use in human and veterinary medicine has significantly increased the development of resistance.
"Despite their extraordinary properties, the overuse and misuse of these 'miracle drugs' in human and veterinary medicine jeopardises their efficiency," explained Minister of Health, Lydia Mustch. "It is especially important to improve awareness and understanding about antimicrobial resistance."
To this end, the Grand Duchy is involved in all monitoring programmes under the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The Ministry of Health's annual campaign, aimed at promoting understanding that an increase in antibiotics use can often mean a rise in antimicrobial resistance, saw the consumption of antibiotics in outpatient treatment reduced by 7% in 2014.
As the development of resistance affects all countries around the world where access to effective antibiotics remains a major problem, the Health Minister called for a 'One Health' common approach to consider the multiple dimensions of the matter. She further emphasised the importance of a prevention strategy to avoid infections. If these actions can reduce the use of antibiotics, they could contribute to curbing the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Public health experts have estimated that at least a third of antibiotic prescriptions are contraindicated, for example in cases where a disease is not caused by a bacterial infection or that it cannot be treated by the antibioitc prescribed.
"Since inappropriate or unnecessary antibiotic use affects not only the patient but the entire community, it is important to change the way antibiotics are consumed," continued Minister Mutsch. "Improving their responsible use can benefit not only the patient but also have substantial cost implications on the health system".
The Transatlantic Task Force in Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR) underpinned three key areas, these being the appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs in human and animal medicine; the prevention of resistant germ infections; and strategies to accelerate the availability of new antibiotics.
Photo by Ministry of Health (L-R: Lydia Mutsch, Minister of Health; Vytenis andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety; John F. Ryan, TATFAR EU co-chair, Acting Director for Public Health, DG HEALTH; Ambassador Jimmy Kolker - US TATFAR co-chair, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, US Department of Health and Human Services)
