What is being done to fight antimicrobial resistance?

Brussels, 22 November 2023

Improper and excessive use of antimicrobials in both human health care and agricultural production domains has accelerated the development of bacterial defences against them and the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This article explores what European and international organizations are doing to tackle this issue.  

Before delving into the topic, it’s useful to briefly recap what an antimicrobial and antimicrobial resistance are: 

• An antimicrobial is a general term used for any drug (e.g., antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics) that works to treat and prevent infections caused by microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, by killing or inhibiting their growth.
• Antimicrobial resistance is the resistance of any microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was initially effective in treating infections caused by it.

The HOLiFOOD project collaborated with the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) to write this article. To view and read it, visit the EUFIC website, here: https://www.eufic.org/en/food-production/article/antimicrobial-resistance-a-shared-responsibility