The inappropriate use of antibiotics remains one of the main factors of microbial resistance – the ability of microorganisms to resist drugs – warns a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released on Thursday.
According to the study’s conclusions, overall human antibiotic consumption has increased modestly over the past 20 years in OECD and European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries, but has increased substantially in G20 countries. 20 largest non-European countries). -OECD economies.
At the same time, the report indicates that the consumption of antibiotics has increased faster than the total consumption of these drugs.
Consumption of antimicrobials in animals halved in the OECD between 2000 and 2019 and could fall by another 10% by 2035, but sales of veterinary antimicrobials in the G20 could be almost double in the OECD, after adjustment to the size of the livestock.
The report warns that, without effective action, resistance to third-line antibiotics could be 2.1 times higher in 2035 than in 2005, making it “significantly more difficult” to treat infections such as pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
“For certain countries and for certain combinations of antibiotics and bacteria, including some acquired in hospitals, up to 90% of infections will be resistant,” the report concludes, noting that antimicrobial resistant organisms are responsible for approximately 79,000 deaths per year. year. year.
The total annual cost of multi-resistant microorganisms in 34 OECD and European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries is approximately $58 (approximately €54) per inhabitant, taking into account electricity parity of purchase.
“About a third of these costs are due to higher health care costs and the remainder to reduced labor productivity,” says the report, which also notes that resistant infections acquired in health care settings are responsible for 60% of all deaths and about a third of all fatalities represent. resistant infections.
The report highlights that most OECD, EU/EEA and G20 countries have developed national action plans to combat antimicrobial resistance, but only a fraction of them have put in place financial mechanisms to implement their plans.
The study highlights that strengthening national uptake of best practices in human and animal health, agri-food systems and the environment and improving surveillance systems are the key priorities for action and states that programs aimed at promoting the use of antibiotics. and improved hand and environmental hygiene in healthcare settings prevent the greatest number of deaths from multidrug-resistant infections.
In addition to human health, it also suggests strengthening food processing practices and improving biosecurity on farms as a way to reduce drug-resistant infections, noting that all these interventions are cost-effective.
The study believes that a multidisciplinary policy approach, called “One Health”, is affordable, indicating that in 34 OECD and EU/EEA countries the annual investment of around four dollars (about 3.75 euros) ‘per capita the population’ was applied in a mixed package. in the human health and food sectors could prevent more than 17,000 deaths, save more than $9.4 billion in health care costs, and generate approximately $13.8 billion in economic gains through increased labor force participation and productivity.
In more detail, the study notes that human consumption of antibiotics has increased over the past two decades, with sales of all classes of antibiotics in the OECD and EU/EEA increasing slightly by around 2% between 2000 and 2019.
“During this period, antibiotic consumption has ultimately increased faster than overall consumption. For example, consumption of antibiotics from the ‘polymyxin’ class increased by 67% in EU/EEA countries between 2011 and 2020. Non-OECD G20 countries, which historically had lower levels of antimicrobial consumption, have converged to OECD and EU/EEA levels,” the study highlights.
On the other hand, human health antibiotic consumption in the OECD is expected to remain relatively stable between 2015 and 2035, while the EU/EEA and G20 countries are likely to see a modest decline in overall consumption (respectively 3.3% and 6.2%).
Between 2000 and 2019, average sales of all classes of antimicrobials used in meat production fell globally and halved in the OECD, from 181 to 91 mg of antimicrobials per kilogram of animal intended for human consumption. Most of this decline has been recorded since 2014.
OECD projections suggest that, if current trends continue, animal antimicrobial consumption in the OECD could decline by 10% between 2020 and 2035.
However, most sales of veterinary antimicrobials occur outside the OECD, with sales in the G20 expected to double the OECD average by 2035, after adjusting for livestock size.
Source: DN
