The European Antibiotic Awareness Day will take place for the first time on 18 November 2008 in the 27 EU member states.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing health problem in Europe and worldwide. In conclusions adopted at the Council meeting on 10 June in Luxemburg, EU health ministers stressed that the spread ofmicro-organismsresistant to antimicrobial agents (such as antibiotics) increased morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases, resulting not only in deteriorated quality of life for the affected patients, but also in additional health costs.

The Council emphasised the relationship between the use of antibiotics and AMR. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials throughout the health care system ­is – besides insufficient infection control – the main cause for the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in hospitals. Ministers also recognised that there is evidence for a link between the use of antimicrobials in food producing animals and the occurrence of resistant bacterial strains.

The Council called upon the member states to further promote the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in both the human and veterinary sector, for example through awareness campaigns. Health ministers also stated that more research was needed for a better understanding of the factors that advance the development of AMR. Furthermore, they recommended the improvement of national AMR surveillance systems and the development of guidelines for best practices concerning drug resistant infections.

France, which currently holds the EU presidency, will organise a technical workshop on AMR in Paris on 6 and 7 November. The annual European Antibiotic Awareness Day – an initiative of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) – will take place for the first time on 18 November 2008 in the 27 EU member states. The Czech Republic has announced a conference to be held under its presidency in the first half of 2009 with a view to formulate basic standards for hospitals' antimicrobial programmes.