The European Commission releases its new EU action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance – a growing threat that is responsible for 25,000 deaths in the EU every year.
The action plan is built around three pillars:
• Make Europe a best practice region,
• Boost research, development and innovation, and
• Shape the global agenda.
“Scientific evidence has shown that human health and animal health are interconnected,” said Jaana Husu-Kallio, chair of EFSA’s management board and member of the UN Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
“EFSA experts will continue to support the global fight against antimicrobial resistance by investigating the role of food and food-producing animals in transmitting antimicrobial resistance.”
EFSA’s work has contributed to making Europe a best practice region on AMR by providing scientific advice on prudent use of antimicrobials.
Experts have reviewed the measures taken in the EU to reduce, replace and re-think the use of antimicrobials in animals.
It has also provided evidence-based analysis and data, assessing the association between use of antimicrobials in animals and humans and development of resistance.
Meanwhile, EFSA’s One-Health surveillance and reporting provided a snapshot of resistance levels in bacteria found in humans, food and animals country by country.
