To mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2022, the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) highlight their continuous commitment to spearhead the fight against antimicrobial resistance together.
Our professions recognise the need for continued action in order to preserve existing antimicrobials’ efficacy for the future treatment of both humans and animals and to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a European and global health threat, and data released yesterday estimates that AMR is the direct cause of an increasing 35,000 deaths annually in the EU/EEA.
We are encouraged that total antimicrobial use in Europe has decreased by nearly a quarter in humans and by almost half in animals in the last ten years. Despite this progress, we remain deeply concerned at the public health figures of rising deaths due to drug-resistant bacterial infections.
The fight against antimicrobial resistance is a joint responsibility.
Doctors and veterinarians, alongside European and national authorities, patients, farmers and society as a whole, strive to join forces for the common good.
Our professions commit to enhanced cooperation between the medical and veterinary fields on a pan-European level to ensure well-coordinated efforts on the prudent use of antimicrobials. Earlier this year, we officially renewed our long-standing collaboration that started in January 2013 with a first memorandum between CPME and FVE focusing on fighting antimicrobial resistance.
This commitment has been updated twice since then, in November 2015 and last September, expanding the scope of our activities.
Looking forward to 2023 as the European Year of Skills, we emphasise the importance of interprofessional education and training on the responsible use of antimicrobials and sustainable practices as the cornerstone for building a holistic One Health culture for both medical and veterinary practitioners.
