We want to highlight this summers EU Council Conclusions (through the EU Ministers of Health) that reaffirms the challenge of AMR as a top priority for the EU. The Conclusions indicate that EU Member States should be supported in their efforts to combat AMR, but they also need to do more at national level. The Council agrees that the European Commission and EU Member States should further support JPIAMR efforts:
“The Council notes with great concern the market failure in antibiotic development and underlines the need for urgent action to stimulate the development of new antimicrobials, alternative therapies and rapid and modern diagnostics, including methods for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. EU and global coordination and cooperation on research programmes and incentives are needed, and the Council recognises, inter alia, the proposals and activities of the ‘Antimicrobial Resistance Review team’, the ‘Breaking Through the Wall’ report and the ‘Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance’.” (see p.8)
“Calls upon Member States and the Commission to: Boost research, development and innovation related to AMR, and support EU and global coordination and cooperation including activities through the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Global AMR R&D Hub. (see p. 12)”
Please find the full Conclusions here.