Health experts are urging European countries to reduce their reliance on antibiotics as drug-resistant infections continue to pose a serious public health threat. Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows that antibiotic use remains high in several nations and has even increased in some areas.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens evolve to resist the drugs used to treat infections. Overuse of antibiotics accelerates this process, contributing to more than 35,000 deaths annually across the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
In 2023, the EU Council called on member states to cut overall antibiotic use and ensure that at least 65 percent of prescriptions involve first-line treatments. However, the bloc has yet to meet these targets, the ECDC reported last month. Across the EU, residents received an average of 20.3 daily doses of antibiotics per 1,000 people in 2024. This marks a 2 percent increase from the pre-pandemic level in 2019 and remains significantly higher than the EU’s target of 15.9 daily doses per 1,000 residents by 2030.
Antibiotic consumption varies widely across the continent. The Netherlands reported the lowest daily dose rate at 9.8, while Greece recorded the highest at 29.9. Evelyne Jouvin Marche, who coordinates research on antibiotic resistance at France’s Inserm institute, said the differences reflect the pace at which countries implement health guidelines. “The rollout between countries is not exactly the same,” she told Euronews Health.
ECDC data shows that since 2020, antibiotic use has increased in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. The agency warned that poor progress toward EU targets highlights the need for stronger measures to curb unnecessary and inappropriate use at all levels of healthcare.
Officials recommend updating diagnostic practices to better target infections and adopting stricter infection prevention and control measures. The spread of drug-resistant pathogens across borders and Europe’s ageing population, which leaves more people vulnerable to infection, further complicates efforts to reduce antibiotic overuse.
Experts also emphasize the role of patients in combating resistance. Jouvin Marche advised taking the full course of prescribed antibiotics rather than discarding or saving doses. “You have exactly the dose of antibiotics you need to treat it,” she said.
As European nations work to meet EU targets and limit AMR, authorities warn that sustained action is essential to protect public health and prevent the further rise of deadly drug-resistant infections.
