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Cyprus ranks among European Union countries with the highest antibiotic consumption and microbial resistance rates, Health Minister Michalis Damianou said Friday at a news conference kicking off a campaign on antibiotic stewardship and antimicrobial resistance.
The campaign, launched in conjunction with European Antibiotic Awareness Day on Nov. 18, aims to inform the public and healthcare professionals on the need for responsible antibiotic use.
"Unfortunately, Cyprus is among the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption and microbial resistance," Damianou said, noting that antimicrobial resistance was responsible for 35,000 deaths across the EU in 2020 alone. If no effective measures are taken, he warned, the resistance rate could lead to more deaths by 2050 than cancer.
He emphasized that the excessive and irrational use of antibiotics fuels the spread of microbial resistance, a growing public health threat leading to infections by multidrug-resistant organisms, extended hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs.
"Responsible antibiotic use can curb rising microbial resistance," Damianou said, underscoring the importance of proper and restrained antibiotic use. He urged citizens to avoid self-prescribing antibiotics and to consult their doctors for guidance.
Damianou also called on healthcare providers to uphold standards in prescribing antibiotics, infection control, and promoting vaccinations to ensure antibiotics remain effective for future generations.
The Health Ministry, recognizing antibiotic resistance as a top priority, is implementing a National Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance and Nosocomial Infections, as part of a "One Health" approach. Initiatives include establishing antibiotic stewardship committees in hospitals, launching training for infection control specialists, organizing a Drive-AMS workshop in Cyprus in February 2025, and creating clinical guidelines for infection prevention and control.
Dr. Linos Hadjichannas from the Ministry’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit described antimicrobial resistance as one of the "gravest threats to public health," with 700,000 deaths globally each year linked to multidrug-resistant infections. In the EU/EEA, more than 670,000 such infections occur annually, causing 33,000 deaths.
Hadjichannas also highlighted a forthcoming digital platform to monitor antibiotic use and infections in hospitals, funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. This platform will enable both hospital-level and central-level data analysis for better infection tracking and response.
