A silent pandemic is quietly occurring. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is responsible for approximately 35,000 deaths annually in the EU/EEA. By 2050, this number will hit 390,000. With no time to waste, Europe needs evidence-based public health strategies to tackle AMR and meet the 2030 targets. This session will facilitate a discussion around the challenges of tackling AMR in Europe, zooming in on current inequalities and gaps, and how these can be addressed.

The discussion will look at the different drivers of inequalities in AMR across Europe, including between countries as well as among women and men. It will explore best practices, different complementary approaches beyond antibiotics in the fight against AMR, and the role of European initiatives like the EU’s Preparedness Strategy and the Joint Action on AMR and Healthcare-Associated Infections. With decreased trust in institutions since the COVID-19 pandemic, governments cannot fail in curbing AMR as they work to restore public confidence.

SPEAKERS

• Vanessa Carter, Executive Director, AMR Narrative
• Wojciech Feleszko, Professor, Pediatric Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw
• Anna Thomas, Chief Scientific Officer, OM Pharma
• Ariane Vander Stappen, Head of Unit, One Health, Antimicrobial Resistance, European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

MODERATOR

• Mariam Zaidi, International News Presenter