Inappropriate Use of Antimicrobials Drives the Emergence, Spread and Persistence of Drug-Resistant Microorganisms

National and international experts on antimicrobial resistance will come together in Barcelona on November 5, 6 and 7 to generate debate among the scientific community and other stakeholders (e.g., public health authorities, regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies) involved in the prevention and treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. The meeting, entitled The Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance. Science for Intervention, is jointly organised by B·Debate and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in partnership with the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) and the Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI). This meeting will take place under the scientific leadership of Dr Jordi Vila, Head of the Antibiotics Resistance Initiative at CRESIB, ISGlobal's research centre.

Antibiotics and other antimicrobials have been used to treat infectious diseases for 70 years. They have had a substantial impact in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality and can be of enormous value when prescribed and taken correctly. Nevertheless, the fact that they have been used so widely and for so long means that some of these drugs are now of little or no use as the organisms they were designed to eliminate have become resistant. This has also occurred with many fungi, viruses and parasites. Some microorganisms have even become so resistant that there are no effective antibiotics to fight them.

Inappropriate use of antimicrobials, including overuse, underuse, and self-medication, is one of the main contributors to drug resistance. As stated by the World Health Organisation, "Ensuring that patients are informed about the need to take the right dosage of the right antimicrobial requires action from prescribers, pharmacists and dispensers, pharmaceutical industry, the public and patients, as well as the policy makers".

The growing mobility of the world's population also means that resistant microorganisms are now spreading faster and further than ever before. The challenges are complex and need to be tackled globally and without losing sight of the differences between health systems in different countries. This week's meeting is a step in the right direction.

B-Debate

The B-Debate meeting on antimicrobial resistance will focus on three core themes: drug resistance, factors that contribute to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria and the lack of new drugs to treatment infections caused by these bacteria.

The B·Debate International Center for Scientific Debate, an initiative of Biocat and "la Caixa" Foundation, seeks to find answers to the challenges and needs of society in the field of life sciences by organising top-notch international scientific meetings.