Currently, only a handful of countries are introducing stringent measures to reduce antibiotic resistance
However, a new study led by Peter Søgaard Jørgensen from the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University reveals that while global cooperation remains essential, countries have more power than previously believed to reduce antibiotic resistance through effective domestic interventions.
The study is the first to assess the level of government intervention needed to improve the worsening situation of antibiotic resistance across 73 countries.
The researchers find strong associations between the level of action a country reports and whether antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance increased during a 16-year period at the start of the 21st century.
Measures that reduce antibiotic resistance
The study compared self-reported levels of action among 73 countries with changes in antibiotic resistance and use during the period 2000 to 2016.
The scientists then looked at how levels of action had changed from 2016 to 2023 to see if the same countries were still taking the same level of action. Additional research is needed to evaluate the effects of action levels in 2023.
A wide set of measures, like monitoring antibiotic use, improving hospital hygiene, coordinating action across human health and livestock production, and investing in new treatment strategies, are all likely to be needed to reduce antibiotic resistance at the national level.
“Too often, we hear that antibiotic resistance is an inevitable catastrophe beyond our control,” said Jørgensen.
“But our study tells a different story – one of hope and agency. If countries act decisively, they can still make a difference.”
Which countries are leading the charge?
The study shows that a handful of countries are leading the way, taking the necessary level of action to have a better than even chance to reduce antibiotic resistance across the board.
In 2016, those countries were the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. Six years later, in 2023, Japan, France, Malaysia, and Denmark have become the countries that are taking the most extensive actions.
Jørgensen explained: “A positive trend is that between 2016 and 2023, 76% of all analysed countries, and 83% of low- and middle-income countries, were reporting to ramp up their actions.”
By: Innovation News Network