Sweden

National AMR research program
National action plans
MB representatives

Sweden is represented in the JPIAMR by the The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), which is also the host of the JPIAMR Secretariat and is the coordinator of several EU-funded projects, including the CSA to design the One Health AMR partnership.

The Swedish government recognises the threat of antimicrobial resistance and is committed to combat AMR both nationally and internationally. Sweden has been a strong advocate for international cooperation for AMR research and participates in several international programs and initiatives relevant for AMR, such as “ReACT – Action on Antibiotic Resistance” where the main funder is the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Global AMR R&D Hub, and several EU programmes/partnerships focused on AMR through the participation of  several agencies including The Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Formas), the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Fohm), the Swedish Innovation Agency (Vinnova) and the Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA). Sweden has appointed a government ambassador to work specifically with the issue of antimicrobial resistance.

National AMR research program and activities

AMR Research program

The national research program on antibiotic resistance aims to preserve the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The program committee includes representatives from Formas, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte), Vinnova, the Medical Products Agency, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Sida, Fohm, the National Board of Health and Welfare, the SVA and Research Institutes of Sweden (Rise).

The national research programme is in the process of updating its research agenda and funding instruments, based on input from the Swedish research community and stakeholders in the human health, animal health, food production, environmental protection, and international aid sectors.

The Swedish government has appointed to the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Fohm) and the Swedish Board of Agriculture to chair an intersectoral coordinating mechanism that brings together representatives from national authorities and organisations. More information on the Intersectoral coordinating mechanism against antibiotic resistance.

National AMR research calls

  • Swedish Research Council; Career grant, 2023
  • Swedish Research Council; Proof-of-concept within the infection area, 2022
  • Swedish Research Council; Career grant, 2022
  • Swedish Research Council; Project grant, 2022
  • Swedish Research Council; Proof-of-concept within the infection area, 2021
  • Swedish Research Council, Research environment grant interdisciplinary research, 2021
  • Swedish Research Council, International postdoc grant, 2021
  • Swedish Research Council, Starting grant within medicine and health, 2021
  • Swedish Research Council, Network grant within the infection area: knowledge gaps within antimicrobial resistance, 2020
  • Swedish Research Council, Research time for clinicians within the infection area: Resistance to antibacterial and antifungal drugs, 2020

Activities on AMR actions at national level

  • Sweden hosted a high-level meeting on AMR in Stockholm 6-7 March as part of the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Discussions focussed on challenges in antibiotic research and development and how the EU can support global efforts to address AMR. A preceding expert session on “Sustainable access to existing – and stimulation of development of new antibiotics” contained discussions on an end-to-end approach to antibiotic development and access in the EU context. Outcomes of this session were shared as an introduction to the panellists of the high-level meeting.
  • During Sweden’s term of Presidency of the Council of the EU, a new council recommendation on “stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach” has been negotiated and decided (2023/C 220/01). The recommendation entails quantitative and qualitative targets for antibiotic consumption and for the incidence of certain types of antibiotic resistance. It also encourages member states to work actively with their national action plans, to increase infection prevention and control measures in human and animal health, and strengthen the knowledge about prevention of AMR across all relevant professional groups and in the community.
  • Within the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, ReAct and Uppsala University hosted a dialogue meeting with the title “The Global Need for Effective Antibiotics – Unlocking Barriers for Collective Action” on May 9-10. Experts from more than 20 countries including representatives from Asia, Africa, and Latin America and stakeholders from international and inter-governmental organisations, civil society, academia, national experts, and other key actors participated. The dialogue highlighted bottom-up perspectives responding to realities in low-and middle-income countries, representing voices from civil society, academia, and communities. The meeting examined various approaches to collective actions with a focus on four main themes: national perspectives on governance, global governance, the role of civil society, and the financing of the AMR response. Participants also explored how stronger and more compelling narratives can be developed to reframe antibiotic resistance as a whole-of-society challenge and to more effectively mobilize collective action.
  • ENABLE-2, a hit-to-lead platform for antibiotic development: The ENABLE-2 platform (a national extension of the EU project ENABLE – European Gram-Negative Antibacterial Engine) seeks to invigorate the early pipeline of new antibiotics by providing opportunities for scientists, principally in academia and SMEs, to advance their understanding of whether a new chemical entity identified in their laboratories might be optimised for use to treat bacterial infections where existing antibiotics have been rendered ineffective by resistance. The platform is coordinated by Uppsala University and receives financial support with 2.5 M€ annually from the Swedish national research program on antibiotic resistance.
  • Vinnova supports several innovation milieus related to the availability optimal and use of antibiotics as well as infection prevention and control.
  • The Public Health Agency of Sweden has developed and tested a reimbursement model aiming to increase access to certain antibiotics of particular medical value. The model has been found to make the included products available earlier than in comparable European countries.
  • The University of Uppsala, together with government agencies, the private industry and academia is working on the PLATINEA project related to the functioning of the information channels of available antibiotics.
  • Antibiotikasmart® Sverige is an initiative by national and regional actors within public health, research and innovation. It invites citizens and a wide range of public and private stakeholders to take part in the work against antibiotic resistance within their own fields.
  • The National Antibiotic Forum is an annual event where representatives of different sectors of society and areas of work such as health care, public health, veterinary medicine, animal health, food and the external environment meet to establish contacts and exchange information, knowledge and experiences.
  • Skydda antibiotikan is a national communication information campaign organised by Swedish agencies and organisations working with antibiotic resistance.
  • Swedish universities host several research collaborations and centres focused on One Health AMR, including (but not limited to) One Health Sweden,  Uppsala Antibiotic Center, Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden and Centrum för antibiotikaresistensforskning, CARe

National action plans

Management Board representatives

  • Madeleine Durbeej-Hjalt, Swedish Research Council
  • Johan Lindell, Swedish Research Council