EU Antibiotic Use Rose in 2024 as Resistance Threat Drives €12 Billion Annual Cost
Updated
Updated · Euronews · May 18
EU Antibiotic Use Rose in 2024 as Resistance Threat Drives €12 Billion Annual Cost
1 articles · Updated · Euronews · May 18
EU antibiotic consumption increased in 2024 despite a 2030 target to cut use by 20%, adding to concern over antimicrobial resistance.
35,000 deaths a year in the EU are already linked to resistant infections, while Europe’s economic hit is estimated at about €12 billion annually through healthcare costs, sick leave and weaker productivity.
2050 projections cited in the report show AMR could cause 39 million deaths globally and add $412 billion a year in healthcare costs plus $443 billion in lost workforce productivity.
€1 billion and 10-15 years are typically needed to develop a new drug, but low prices and restricted use make antibiotics a weak commercial bet, prompting calls for new financing models such as the UK's subscription approach.
Shionogi Europe said curbing human, animal and agricultural antibiotic use — alongside international cooperation and incentives for new drugs — is essential because resistant bacteria spread across borders.
Can a 'Netflix model' for antibiotics fix the broken drug market, or is it a costly detour from tackling the root causes?
With climate change and war now breeding superbugs, are our current public health strategies becoming dangerously outdated?
If our food system is the biggest user of antibiotics, is a revolution in farming the only real path to human survival?
Antibiotic Resistance in the EU/EEA 2024–2026: Escalating Crisis, Economic Impact, and the Urgent Need for One Health Action
Overview
Between 2024 and 2026, the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the EU/EEA has reached a critical point. Recent data and projections show that, despite strong monitoring efforts, the proportion of infections caused by resistant bacteria is expected to keep rising. Analyses of antibiotic use in 2024 are shaped by earlier drops during the COVID-19 pandemic, but new reports from all EU/EEA countries confirm the ongoing challenge. Projections from the OECD warn that AMR rates could increase from 17% in 2015 to 19% by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for sustained action to protect public health.