The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens have led to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) now being considered a major public health concern. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites adapt, resulting in these pathogens no longer responding to commonly used drugs. This makes infections caused by resistant pathogens harder to treat, increasing the risk of severe illness and death.
Drivers of the emergence and spread of AMR are multi-sectoral, and relate to, among other factors, antibiotic exposure in humans, animals and the environment, standards of infection control, and international travel and trade.
To date, AMR surveillance in Europe and elsewhere is mainly relying on indicator-based surveillance. ECDC and national governments launched One Health programs for AMR, involving in addition to monitoring AMR in humans and animals (including food products), environmental surveillance, such as sewage monitoring. Nonetheless, the level of implementation of the One Health approach for AMR between European countries is variable, and the intersectoral evaluation of data originating from these multi-sectoral surveillance remains challenging.