Superbugs: the global epidemic

Antibiotics resistance is occurring everywhere in the world, compromising our ability to treat infectious diseases, and with a very high epidemiological, microbiological and clinical impact.

Patients with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are generally at increased risk of worse clinical outcomes and death, and consume more health-care resources than patients infected with the same bacteria that are not resistant.

Nowadays, a wide range of initiatives and activities, aimed specifically at addressing the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, have been launched by governments and private entities around the world. World Health Organisation (WHO) has adopted a global action plan on antimicrobial resistance; likewise, European Union (EU) has adopted an action plan against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance, aimed to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The plan contains 12 actions and identifies 7 areas where measures are most necessary.

According to the data available from the Spanish surveillance systems, the AMR situation in our country poses a major public health threat; Spain is among EU countries showing a high antibiotic consumption in both human and animal health.

So these are the reasons why Spain is one of the 28 EU countries that have an action plan on AMR, which fully reflects our determined commitment to collaboration on such an important challenge. The Spanish National Action Plan on AMR was launched in 2014 and will be further developed in a second stage that will be presented next December.

The Spanish plan’s strengths mainly lie in collaboration and support coming from all of those involved in AMR problem. This is a One Health plan that includes the efforts by doctors, vets, farmers, researchers, universities, authorities all over the country. Everyone support this plan, which is also connected to international working groups on AMR, from EU-based ones to World Health Organization-related.

KEYWORDS & TOPICS

Resistance, Antibiotics, Strategy, Surveillance, Control, national plan, superbugs.

CONFERENCES

Conference 1

Title: Spain against resistance: PRAN advances
Speaker: María Jesús Lamas Díaz
Institution: Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS)
E-mail: sdaem@aemps.es

Conference 2