Antibiotic resistance could become one of the leading causes of death worldwide by 2050. It threatens our ability to treat even the most common infections. All sectors of human and animal healthcare are affected. Limiting its spread requires comprehensive and coordinated prevention efforts based primarily on the proper use of antibiotics, hand hygiene, and the prevention of factors that promote infections.

"Everyone can take action to ensure that antibiotics continue to save lives. Let’s take this seriously; let’s be responsible!"

Monitoring bacterial resistance and antibiotic consumption is a fundamental element in combating this phenomenon, as is a comprehensive approach integrating human health, animal health, and the environment. This year, the French Health Insurance Fund is partnering with Santé publique France, the ANSM, and ANSES to publish a report on antibiotic consumption and resistance data in human and animal health in France over a ten-year period (2006–2016). In light of this report, the sustained and determined engagement of prescribers, patients, livestock farmers, and public authorities appears, once again this year, to be essential.

Key takeaways:

• In France, antibiotic consumption in human healthcare continues to rise (+8.6% in outpatient settings between 2006 and 2016)

• In 2015, France was the fourth-highest consumer of antibiotics in Europe

• Bacteria causing serious illnesses are becoming harder to treat than before: for example, resistance of Escherichia coli to third-generation cephalosporins has tripled in outpatient settings and increased sixfold in healthcare facilities

For more information:

Santé publique France:

• Thematic report on antimicrobial resistance, updated for European Antibiotic Awareness Day, aims to facilitate access to human health surveillance data. It compiles up-to-date information on trends in antimicrobial resistance in human health, collected on an ongoing or ad hoc basis, at the national or regional level.

• Summary of the 2016 preliminary results of the ATB-Raisin surveillance program, which monitors antibiotic use in French healthcare facilities, conducted in collaboration with the CPIA network.

ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety):

Thematic dossier "Using Antibiotics Properly": list of critical antibiotics and trends in antibiotic consumption data in France

ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety):

Thematic dossiers "Antimicrobial Resistance" and "Monitoring of Veterinary Antibiotic Sales"

Health Insurance:

Information available by searching for the keyword "antibiotics" on the website: https://www.ameli.fr

National Network for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections – CPIAS:

The proper use of antibiotics: http://www.cpias.fr/campagnes/antibiotiques/bon-usage-antibiotiques.html

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:

https://antibiotic.ecdc.europa.eu/en