Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to public health globally. Whilst AMR is a natural process, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is dangerously accelerating its development. This is particularly true in the food production sector, where antimicrobials are still widely overused.
HCWH Europe has today released an animated video explaining how the overuse of antimicrobials in food production, specifically colistin, can lead to the development of AMR and what healthcare professionals can do to mitigate this threat. The video highlights the crucial role healthcare professionals can play in influencing the veterinary medicines policy framework, in particular.
The antibiotic colistin features in the WHO’s list of Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials as a last-resort antibiotic to treat bacterial infections in humans. This means that once colistin is no longer effective, some bacteria might be impossible to treat. However, colistin is still widely used in the EU food production sector to prevent infections caused by unsustainable animal farming practices.
For this reason, HCWH Europe has launched a campaign asking healthcare professionals to sign a petition to safeguard colistin. We want theEuropean Commission to include this life saving medicine on the list of antimicrobials reserved for human health. The petition is currently available in English, Italian, French, Spanish and German.