A successful seminar on antimicrobial resistance awareness

-Automatic translation

Many exciting things were revealed in the talks and discussions at the symposium. The attendees agreed to bring forward a focused and funded national antimicrobial resistance action plan as soon as possible.

Iceland continues to use more antibiotics than other Nordic countries. Total sales of antibiotics in Iceland increased in 2022 (Icelandic) compared to the previous two years. Still, the incidence of other infections declined temporarily in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, probably in connection with extensive disease prevention measures. The same trend was seen in other European countries, according to a new article from ECDC. It is essential to remind the public, government, healthcare professionals and other parties of the threat posed by the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is the very aim of this annual Antibiotic Awareness Day.

Antibiotic use is highest in the oldest age groups in Iceland, and antibiotics used for urinary tract infections are common. It is essential to promote good practice in diagnosing and treating urinary tract infections in older people, but guidelines were recently published for this purpose. Antibiotics are also a significant part of polypharmacy, which is common in older people and increases the risk of drug interactions.

It is essential to strengthen antibiotic care in Iceland, especially in hospitals. Antibiotic care is a team effort that requires the involvement of many professionals. Antibiotic care aims to optimise antibiotic treatment to achieve maximum success but minimal negative consequences. Intensive antibiotic care can reduce antimicrobial resistance, minimise side effects, reduce mortality and reduce costs.

Resistant pathogens respect no borders, and antimicrobial resistance has been termed the silent pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antimicrobial resistance a significant health threat facing humanity today. Earlier this year, the Council of the European Union also approved recommendations to promote actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in the One Health approach. Council recommendations encourage the prudent use of antibiotics in humans and animals to reduce antimicrobial resistance.

The term One Health applies well to antimicrobial resistance because resistant pathogens can be transmitted between humans, animals, food and the environment. Antibiotic use for animals and the prevalence of resistant pathogens has been low in Iceland compared to other European countries. In general, the sales of antibiotics for animals have decreased in Iceland in recent years.

It is essential to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration on measures against antimicrobial resistance. A working group (Icelandic) was appointed in Iceland almost a year ago. The project is carried out with the Ministry of Health, Food and Environment, Energy and Climate. The working group is tasked with formulating a vision for the next ten years. The group is also charged with developing an action and implementation plan on antimicrobial resistance for the next five years and raising community awareness.

Further information:

• Program (Icelandic)

• Recordings from the seminar: First part and second part (Icelandic).

• Antibiotic Awareness Day

• Antibiotic use and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria in humans and animals in Iceland 2022 (Icelandic)

• Guidelines for the treatment of urinary tract infections (Icelandic)

• Working group on actions to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Icelandic)

• Article from ECDC: Rebound in community antibiotic consumption after the observed decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic, EU/EEA, 2022

• Recommendation from the European Union: Council Recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach

The Chief Epidemiologist