Antibiotic Awareness Week launched in Luxembourg
Luxtoday
The Luxembourg Ministry of Health, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, launched the European Antibiotic Information Day and the World Antimicrobial Stewardship Week. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks of inappropriate use of antibiotics, which contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance, a global public health threat.
Inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics in humans and animals leads to an increase in treatment-resistant bacteria. More than 35,000 deaths from infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are reported in Europe each year.
In 2023 in Luxembourg:
- The antibiotic consumption rate was 18.7 DDJ/1,000 inhabitants/day (17.6 DDJ in 2022). DDJ is the daily defined dose.
- In hospitals, the rate has increased to 1.5 DDJ/1,000 residents/day (1.4 DDJ in 2022).
As of 2022, the EU has a regulation in place that strengthens controls on the use of antibiotics in animals. Data on the consumption of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine in 2023 will be presented in the EMA report in 2025.
The campaign plans to inform people about the potential dangers of taking antibiotics uncontrolled. This is not only due to disorders of body systems, but also to the threat of the evolution of drug-resistant superbacteria. It is expected that by the end of 2030 from .
Campaign slogan: "Antibiotics, use them correctly, keep their effectiveness!". The activities cover doctors, veterinarians, farmers and animal owners, as well as the public include materials in several languages available on the Sante.lu portal. The main focus is on the need to use antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor, avoid self-medication, practice good hygiene and vaccinations to prevent infections.
