June 29, 2017
EU draws up new action plan to fight AMR
EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitiswill on Tuesday, June 27, stressed the need to continue and strengthen Europe's 5-year action plan to fight AMR (anti-microbial resistance), which the European Commission launched in 2011 and has therefore elapsed.
"[T] this initiative (plan), whilst making significant progress, needs to be continued and strengthened to curb the rise of resistant infections. AMR remains an issue of paramount importance for the European Union, and indeed for the wider world", Andriukaitiswill told the "One Health" anti-microbial resistance seminar held in Ålesund, Norway.
Hosted by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the "One-Health" high-level seminar on AMR was also attended by UK Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies, Norwegian Agriculture and Food Minister Jon Georg Dale, Norwegian Health and Care Services Minister Bent Høie and Norwegian Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg.
Andriukaitiswill said that the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) also called for a new EU action plan on antimicrobial resistance covering all relevant areas (veterinary and human medicine, environment and other sectors) when the 5-year action plan concluded in June 2016.
The 5-year plan focused on surveillance and monitoring; the prudent use of antimicrobials; and research and innovation.
New action plan
Andriukaitiswill is to present on Thursday, June 29, a new "EU One Health Action Plan" against AMR.
He said that he wanted to see the EU "firmly established" as a best practice region in the field of AMR, recognised throughout the world. "This is my first priority", he said of the new action plan.
"I want to ensure that we have better evidence, better coordination and surveillance, and better control measures. As a step towards achieving this, every member state should have in place a comprehensive action plan against AMR, developed in line with the One Health approach", he said. The "One Health" approach brings together the human health and the animal health sectors.
Andriukaitiswill's second priority "is to continue to boost innovation and research for the development of new antimicrobials, rapid diagnostic tests as well as vaccines and other treatments" since research and innovation "are indeed crucial to tackle the threat of AMR".
He disclosed that since 1999, the EC has invested over EUR1.3 billion (US$1.48 billion) in research projects in AMR including the development of new antimicrobials, novel technologies and innovative alternative treatments.
Andriukaitiswill's 3rd priority
Andriukaitiswill said that his third priority under the new plan is to strengthen the EU's presence, voice and efforts in the international arena.
"In a world where global travel and tourism, and increased trade in food and animals give resistant microorganisms the opportunity to spread easily around the world, there is a strong need to reinforce EU collaboration with multilateral organisations-such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and others-to contribute to regional and global implementation of actions against AMR", he explained.
"The new EU One Health Action Plan will also serve as the vehicle through which the EU will contribute towards implementation of existing global commitments-particularly those under the WHO Global Action Plan", he added.
He noted that citizens are becoming more and more aware and worried about the rise of AMR. "Their demands and pressure on producers and regulators to ensure that the food we eat comes from animals not unnecessarily treated with antibiotics will only increase in future", he said.
The EU banned the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters in feed for animal livestock production as early as 2006.
He stressed the importance of a firm anti-AMR policy for the agriculture sector and the food industry, and the sustainability of ecosystems.
The improved animal welfare standards are also positively impacting the fight against AMR, as there is less need for antimicrobials to treat animals that are kept in proper conditions.
