EU authority estimates 35,000 deaths: the risk of antibiotic resistance is increasing

Status: 17.11.2022 2:15 p.m

Antibiotics can often help with infections. However, they are prescribed so frequently that the bacteria to be fought are becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs. That has consequences.

The number of infections and deaths caused by antibiotic resistance is increasing significantly. “We are seeing a worrying increase in deaths from infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” said Andrea Ammon, director of the EU health agency ECDC.

To ECDC estimates As a result, more than 35,000 people die every year in the European Economic Area (EEA). That’s 100 deaths a day. There are clear differences between the countries: the reported resistance values ​​are lowest in northern Europe, while they are highest in the south and east.

health challenges

According to a recent ECDC report, the health effects of antibiotics are comparable to those of influenza, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. They posed one of the biggest public health challenges in Europe, Ammon said.

More needs to be done to ensure that antibiotics are not used unnecessarily. Infection prevention and control practices also need to be improved. Governments should respond more proactively to this threat, it said.

The estimated number of deaths in the EEA relates to the years 2016 to 2020. In addition to the EU member states, the EEA also includes Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. However, data from Liechtenstein were not available for the report.

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