Associated deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Switzerland, 2010 to 2019

The burden of infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Switzerland increased significantly between 2010 and 2019, but to a moderate level compared to the European average. Within the country, burden estimations differed by linguistic region and hospital types. These factors considerably impacted the overall burden estimation at national level. Amounts of highly resistant pathogens stayed relatively low while measures were implemented.

We found that considering linguistic regions and hospital types in the burden calculations makes it possible to identify regional deficits that need to be addressed. Furthermore, taking these factors into account improved the accuracy of burden estimates at national level. This finding may also encourage other countries to adopt such an approach, allowing for more accurate comparisons between countries.