November 18th marks the European Antibiotic Awareness Day, a day in which the sensible use of antibiotics is highlighted. The European Antibiotic Awareness Day is coordinated by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, for which Sciensano monitors antibiotic resistance and consumption in Belgium.November 18th marks the European Antibiotic Awareness Day, a day in which the sensible use of antibiotics is highlighted. The European Antibiotic Awareness Day is coordinated by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, for which Sciensano monitors antibiotic resistance and consumption in Belgium.
The antibiotic consumption in Belgium in the community pharmacies and in hospitals remains stable over time, with a slightly decreasing trend in the last years. In the community, antibiotic consumption is higher than in some neighboring countries (e.g. the Netherlands and Germany). In hospitals, especially the high variation across hospitals is remarkable and should further be investigated.
In case of inappropriate or overuse of antibiotics, bacteria can develop resistance to these, so they can no longer be killed by these drugs.
The rate of antibiotic resistance really depends on the bacteria and the antibiotic considered. In Belgium, in general, the level of antibiotic resistance is stable over time, but we observe a decrease in Staphylococcus aureus (a hospital-acquired infection). However for some other bacteria, the level of antibiotic resistance is high. It thus remains an important threat for public health.
There is a link between the level of antibiotic consumption and level of antibiotic resistance of bacteria. European results indicate that recent efforts in antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention and control are slowing down (rather than decreasing) the emerge of resistant bacteria, so these efforts should be encouraged.