The Nordic countries are leading the way in the fight against antibiotic resistance, and a new Nordic collaboration is working to enhance the capacity of the Baltic countries in this area.
This week, Week 47, marks World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the global challenge posed by antimicrobial resistance and highlight potential solutions.
Sweden, along with other Nordic countries, enjoys a relatively favourable situation regarding antibiotic use and resistance in both humans and animals. Decades of focused efforts on preventive measures to promote animal health and effective disease prevention and biosecurity have been key to this success. Sweden has the lowest levels of antibiotic use in animals within the EU, and the prevalence of resistant bacteria remains relatively low. However, both global and domestic challenges continue to grow.
Since 2023, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Public Health Agency of Sweden, in collaboration with authorities from Denmark and Norway, have supported the Baltic countries in their efforts to combat antibiotic resistance.
— The issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria impacts many sectors of society, including healthcare, public health, veterinary medicine, animal health, food safety, the environment, and research. To be effective, actions must be coordinated both nationally and internationally. In Sweden, we have been working on these issues for many years. Since 2012, we’ve had a collaboration group with representatives from 25 different authorities and organizations working together against antibiotic resistance. These are experiences we are eager to share, says Michael Ladegaard Jensen from the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s Animal Health Unit.
Learn more about the Baltic One Health One Plan project HERE