European project to reduce the risk of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria

The action JAMRAI 2 brings together all EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway and Ukraine to work on areas such as infection prevention and control, surveillance and monitoring, prudent use of antimicrobials, awareness raising and innovation. In line with the One Health approach needed to tackle AMR, the initiative includes activities related to animal health and the environment.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly antibiotic resistance, has arisen as a serious cross-border threat to health with the potential to undermine modern medicine. In the EU, antibiotic resistance accounts for at least 33,000 deaths, 2.5 million extra hospital days, and an estimated societal cost of about €1.5 billion each year. To combat AMR, a global approach is called for, combining awareness raising, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), infection prevention/control (IPC) while ensuring access to antibiotics and diagnostics. Such interventions need to be grounded in a One Health perspective, considering the interconnection between humans, animals and the environment. Following the 2017 EU One Health Action Plan against AMR to make Europe a best practice region and the first European Joint Action (JA) on AMR and Healthcare-Associated Infections (EU-JAMRAI), this new JA, EU-JAMRAI 2, will support Member States/Associated Countries (MS/AC) in their efforts to develop and update their National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR.

It contributes to several EU4Health policy priorities against AMR:

• Strengthening MS/AC coordination;
• Strengthening the responsiveness of health systems;
• Ensuring access to critical medicinal products and medical devices;
• Protecting citizens.

The success of the EU-JAMRAI 2 will be ensured by:

• Its One Health framework, with the involvement of ministries, agencies, and institutions in charge of animal health and environmental issues as well as concrete actions targeting the environment;
• Involvement of 30 MS/AC, each identifying an EU-JAMRAI liaison to guarantee the uptake of the EU-JAMRAI 2 outcomes in the respective NAP;
• Implementation of concrete actions and capacity building through various support programmes including pilots, mentorship/observership, on-site visits and training.
• Behavioural science, with activities to identify and lift barriers impeding the implementation of AMS/IPC measures.