Experts discuss prevention as a strategy to combat antibiotic resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the major challenges to global public health and requires a coordinated response that integrates human, animal, and environmental health and also incorporates prevention. This is one of the ideas presented in the course “Antibiotic Resistance and One Health,” an event that brought together specialists, institutions, and representatives from the pharmaceutical sector to analyze current challenges and the necessary solutions to combat the spread of resistant bacteria.

The event, held as part of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) Summer Courses in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, was organized by the UCM itself, the Complutense Foundation, and Caixabank, with collaboration from PRAN (the National Plan Against Antibiotic Resistance) and sponsorship from the biopharmaceutical company MSD.

“At MSD, we recognize that antimicrobial resistance requires a collective, multidisciplinary response based on science, prevention, and collaboration. Therefore, we must continue to promote prevention, encourage the responsible use of antibiotics, and support initiatives like this one—based on a One Health approach—that enable progress toward a healthcare model better prepared to face major present and future challenges. "Training, innovation, and cooperation are—and will undoubtedly continue to be—key elements in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics and ensuring future health," said Cristina Nadal, executive director of Government Affairs at MSD in Spain.

Antimicrobial Resistance: A Challenge for the Present and the Future

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers antimicrobial resistance to be one of the leading global health threats, driven largely by the inappropriate and excessive use of antimicrobials. Furthermore, the latest data from the WHO’s Global Surveillance System (GLASS) show that the problem continues to worsen: by 2023, approximately 1 in 6 laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide exhibited antibiotic resistance, and resistance increased in more than 40% of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations analyzed between 2018 and 2023.

“Resistant microorganisms and their genes circulate among people, animals, food, and ecosystems, so no single intervention will be sufficient. It is essential to strengthen integrated surveillance, reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics, and improve preventive measures. Collaboration across sectors is now a scientific and public health necessity, not an option,” stated Dr. Bruno González Zorn, co-director of the course, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, director of the university’s Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, and WHO advisor.

Dr. Rafael Cantón, who is also co-director of the course and head of the Microbiology Department at Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid, stated during his presentation that “the One Health approach allows us to properly assess the scope of the problem of resistance and to take a multidisciplinary approach to actions aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance.”

New Approaches and Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance

The meeting also highlighted the role of new, innovative approaches in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. “The development of new technologies that deliver more efficient and rapid results in the detection and characterization of multidrug-resistant microorganisms is leading to a more effective application of the principles of the PROA programs, with clinical benefits resulting from more appropriate treatment selection and a reduction in the costs associated with managing infections caused by resistant microorganisms,” noted Dr. Rafael Cantón.

The fact is that, although much progress has been made in recent years, significant challenges still lie ahead in this regard. “The main ones are strengthening integrated One Health surveillance, promoting the prudent use of antimicrobials, accelerating the development of new antibiotics and diagnostics, and raising public awareness. Spain has made very significant progress through the National Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN), achieving a significant reduction in the use of antimicrobials in both human and veterinary medicine. However, it is necessary to consolidate these achievements with stable funding, research, and increasingly close coordination among all the sectors involved,” stated Dr. González Zorn.

The focus on prevention has been another key theme of the course. In this regard, experts emphasize that vaccination must play a strategic role in the fight against antibiotic resistance. “Until now, we have focused much of our effort on developing new antimicrobials. Without abandoning this goal, we must also focus our efforts on vaccines effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria,” explained Dr. Cantón.

Dr. González Zorn has emphasized this point, reaffirming that “prevention is the most effective tool for reducing the need to use antibiotics.” Vaccination reduces the incidence of bacterial and viral infections, preventing unnecessary treatments and reducing the selective pressure that promotes the emergence of resistance. Along with vaccination, biosecurity measures, hygiene, infection control, and access to water and sanitation are essential. Investing in prevention is one of the most impactful and cost-effective strategies against AMR.”