Europe is Losing its Battle Against Superbugs
EU is set to miss 2030 targets on antimicrobial resistance, but doomerism is not the answer.
This Monday marked European Antibiotic Awareness Day.
The day was celebrated by the depressing news that the EU is making ‘slow progress’ towards meeting their targets on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Antibiotic usage is up 1% across EU member states. Overall, no progress has been made since 2019. With less than six years remaining, it seems unlikely that they will meet their target of a 20% reduction by 2030.
Cases of drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection saw a devastating 58% boom, representing a significant backslide.
There has been some progress, however. Incidences of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and cephalosporin-resistant E.coli are down.
But overall, the picture is pretty bleak.
In a bid to raise awareness, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a series of ‘patient stories’ — an anthology of nightmarish hospital visits. The seventeen stories range from frightening tales of severe complications to eulogies for lost loved ones.
“Nothing can describe my feelings as a mother sitting helpless as I watched my little girl go from smiling and healthy to near death in less than a day. Antibiotic-resistant infections have devastated my daughter’s life and our family’s health, well-being, and finances.” — The mother of Addie Rerecich, Patient Stories
The stories include Gavin, who has battled chronic kidney disease since the age of 15 and is at constant risk of drug-resistant infection. Lill-Karin, a Norwegian grandmother who was isolated from her family for months after contracting K. pneumoniae with a novel mechanism of resistance. And, Rosa, who contracted a multidrug-resistant respiratory infection at only six months old.
“The scariest thing is knowing that I could have this bug forever.” — Mohammad, Patient Stories
The ECDC has collected additional stories from around the web, including the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the BBC. They hope the stories will: ‘give a voice to people who have experienced prolonged hospital stays, uncertain recovery and complex treatments due to AMR.’
“I’m left wondering how I became infected with E. coli bacteria and why it’s so resistant to antibiotics. I’ve lived a healthy lifestyle my whole life, but this tiny bacteria almost killed me, and it was a terrifying experience for me and my family.“ — Tom Dukes, Patient Stories
In the current political maelstrom, AMR has fallen down the priority list somewhat. In a (understandably) polarised political landscape, advocates need to bang the drum louder than ever.
Giving a voice to those affected by AMR is admirable and potentially educational. In fact, research shows that pessimistic stories travel further and faster than optimistic ones. However, such methods only work when combined with a call to action. And we have reasons to be optimistic.
The most effective ways to combat AMR are relatively straightforward: more hand-washing and quicker isolation of infected patients. These can be easily achieved by expanding screening capacity and training specialised staff for the identification and control of resistant infections.
Extra funding for implementing these measures is available. AMR costs th EU a combined $11 billion a year. Tackling AMR could be a winning policy for any pragmatists who remain in government.
As mentioned above, MRSA numbers are down. The EU has reduced incidences by nearly 20% since 2019, ahead of its 2030 target. This success is largely thanks to increased surveillance. Developed genetic surveillance allows medical agencies to identify potential outbreaks early and take preventative measures. These lessons from combating MRSA can be applied to other bacteria, such as K. pneumoniae.
If the battle against climate change has taught us anything, it is that doomerism doesn’t work. We need to flip the narrative from defeatism to critical optimism.
So this year, for European Antibiotic Awareness Day, let’s observe our shortcomings, mourn our losses, and relish the challenge ahead.
This is a fight we can win.
If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my other articles on Europe or microbiology.
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