Time to act and not react: how can the European Union turn the tide of antimicrobial resistance?

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising in Europe, putting key medical treatments and health systems under serious threat, and notes that the EU is currently not on track to meet four of five AMR-reduction targets for 2030. Key drivers include increased incidence of drug-resistant infections, persistently high antibiotic consumption (including non-‘Access’ antibiotics), and a shrinking pipeline of novel treatments. To turn the tide, ECDC calls for stronger and coordinated action across three fronts: responsible antibiotic use, robust infection prevention and control, and acceleration of innovation in antibiotics and diagnostics.