“Bell-bell” on the excessive use of antibiotics: “Half of the citizens mistakenly believe that they kill viruses”

The alarm bell due to excessive use antibiotics strikes the EU.”Half of Europeans still mistakenly believe that antibiotics kill viruses» says pan-European research on antimicrobial resistance, according to an announcement by the European Commission.

23% of respondents have taken antibiotics in the past year, the lowest figure since 2009, which shows that efforts by Member States and the Commission to help raise public awareness of the dangers of overuse are paying off, the Commission notes. but stressing that much more needs to be done.

“Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses”

Only 1 in 2 respondents know that antibiotics are not effective against viruses

A special Eurobarometer published reflects the attitude of Europeans towards antibiotics.

The main results are as follows:

• Antibiotic use has hit an all-time low: 23% of Europeans say they have taken oral antibiotics in the past year, the lowest since 2009. This ranges from 42% in Malta to 15% in Sweden and Germany.
• About 8% of antibiotics were taken without a prescription.
• A very large proportion of Europeans have taken antibiotics unnecessarily (ie only for viral infections or symptoms).

The survey also showed a worrying lack of public awareness about the appropriate use of antibiotics:

• Only half (50%) of respondents know that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.
• Only 3 in 10 Europeans knew that the unnecessary use of antibiotics makes them ineffective, that antibiotics should only be stopped after treatment is completed, that antibiotics often have side effects such as diarrhoea, and that antibiotics are not effective against colds.

What is the Commission doing to address this?

The growing threat highlights the need to tackle AMR through a ‘One Health’ approach that recognizes the interactions between human health, animal health and the environment. Earlier this year, new EU rules came into force to ensure that antimicrobials, which are vital to human medicine, remain effective by banning their use in veterinary medicine.

The Commission also published a review of Member States’ national AMR ‘One Health’ action plans. The review found that many Member States would benefit from a stronger ‘One Health’ approach to AMR, taking into account the impact of antibiotics on the environment. The Commission also published an expert panel opinion on effective ways of investing in health to manage AMR across the health system.

In the first half of 2023, the Commission will step up its action on AMR in a proposed Council Recommendation and as part of a proposed review of EU medicines legislation. Later in 2023, the EU will launch a €50 million joint action with Member States, Norway, Iceland and Ukraine on AMR under the EU4Health programme.

Under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research programme, more than €690 million has been mobilized to support research and innovation in the field of AMR. During the first two years of Horizon Europe, €32.5 million was committed to 13 research projects dealing with antimicrobial resistance.