Press release
Minister for Health marks European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) 2022
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has today marked European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) and welcomed Ireland’s continuing active engagement in this important initiative through Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 (iNAP2).
EAAD is celebrated on 18 November each year and is a European health initiative coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). This year marks the 15th EAAD.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated in the same week, from 18-24 November every year, and is part of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global week of action to highlight the growing problem of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Minister Donnelly said:
“European Antibiotic Awareness Day reminds us of the significant role antibiotics play in healthcare. It is, however, also an important reminder that antibiotics need to be used correctly and safely, to ensure that we can have effective antibiotics when needed for patient care.
"AMR is recognised as a global health threat. It is complex and we must all work together to take the numerous small actions that collectively will reduce AMR. Ireland has been a leader in collaborative working to address AMR since 2014 and I am pleased to continue to work with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on this priority.”
In line with this One Health approach, the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continue to work together on AMR policy and with agencies and stakeholders across the One Health sectors – human health, animal health and the environment, to implement the actions in Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on AMR 2021 – 2025, known as iNAP2. This includes improving awareness of AMR and the actions to tackle it. The Department of Health welcomes the further work by Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the development of a new One Health AMR logo to mark EAAD 2022.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said:
“Effective antibiotics are very important to our ability to fight infection. In order to protect the effectiveness of the antibiotics we have; we have to use them appropriately and safely. This requires us all to take responsibility and ownership of the global health threat of anti-microbial resistance.
“In addition, Ireland is taking a ‘One Health’ approach to AMR. This is a co-ordinated action across the human health, animal health and environment sectors, as well as numerous stakeholders and agencies. This fully aligns with the approach recommended by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission. The One Health approach recognises that the health and wellbeing of people is connected to the health and welfare of animals, biodiversity, and the environment.”
Chief Nursing Officer Rachel Kenna said:
“On European Antibiotic Awareness Day, I would like to acknowledge the work of healthcare workers and stakeholders in tackling AMR, both within their own practice and at organisational level. Ireland’s Action Plan, known as iNAP2, includes key areas of focus. Three of these are the appropriate use of antibiotics, through good antimicrobial stewardship; the use of best practice in infection prevention and control; and having reliable and accurate information. We all have a part to play, and, on this EAAD, it is an important opportunity for us all, patients, public and healthcare professionals to consider how we can work together to ensure responsible antibiotic use.”
To coincide with European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the HSE AMRIC Team hosted a workshop on Tuesday 15 November focusing on the recently launched HSE Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Guidance for all healthcare settings. The content and interactive sessions focused on the central message from this Guidance, that all healthcare workers are antimicrobial stewards. On the day doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare managers and patient representatives explored how they can play their part, or further their contributions in delivering AMS.
HSE AMRIC National Clinical Lead, Dr Eimear Brannigan said:
"Antibiotics are amazing drugs that eliminate bacteria but are usually very safe for us. The first antibiotic, salvarsan, was used in 1910. In just over 100 years antibiotics have transformed modern medicine and extended the average human lifespan by 23 years.”
Further information on AMR and the iNAP2 publication is available on the joint AMR webpage.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is resistance of a microorganism to a drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by that microorganism. Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g., antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others.
Antimicrobials are essential to the practice of modern medicine, enabling sophisticated medical interventions and treatments, such as chemotherapy and organ transplants.
The goal of the One Health concept is to encourage multidisciplinary collaborative efforts across different sectors such as human health, animal health, agriculture, and the environment to achieve the optimal health outcomes for people and animals. It advocates a “whole of society” approach, recognising that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment. It has been acknowledged globally that a One Health approach is the most effective way to address the global AMR challenge. This is promoted by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission.
National Action Plans on AMR are an international commitment to Member States of both the European Commission and the World Health Organisation.
Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025, known as iNAP2, adopts a One Health approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and aligns to the five Strategic Objectives outlined in the World Health Organisation Global Action Plan (2015) and the requirements of the European Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017). The plan contains a range of strategic interventions and activities across the human health, animal health and environmental sectors grouped under five strategic objectives aimed at:
The Department of Health (DOH) has worked with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as part of a One Health Approach to tackling AMR since 2014 when the National Interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee was established. It is co-chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) DOH, and the Chief Veterinary Officer, DAFM.
The establishment of the National Interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee meets Ireland’s requirements to have an intersectoral co-ordinating mechanism for addressing AMR at European and Global level. The committee has served as an AMR One Health committee and the membership is made up of both government departments, key stakeholders, and agencies from the three sectors.
European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) is a European health initiative coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). It provides a platform and support for national campaigns on the prudent use of antibiotics in the EU/EEA and take place each year across Europe on 18 November. Further information: https://antibiotic.ecdc.europa.eu/en/european-antibiotic-awareness-day-eaad-2022.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. It is a global campaign that is celebrated annually to improve awareness and understanding of AMR and encourage best practices among the public, One Health stakeholders and policymakers, who all play a critical role in reducing the further emergence and spread of AMR. The 2022 theme, Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together, calls on One Health sectors to encourage the prudent use of antimicrobials and to strengthen preventive measures addressing AMR, working together collaboratively through a One Health approach.
For further information, visit the WHO website.