Stronger and faster action is needed to tackle the global phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance.

• Europe and Italy are still far from the 2030 targets for the reduction of consumption and the containment of resistance
• One in three hospital infections in Europe is multidrug-resistant, reducing treatment options for doctors and patients
• Consumption in Italy remains high, +10% compared to the European average in 2024, and more broad-spectrum and last-line antibiotics are used (“Reserve”)
• The Southern Regions maintain the first place for consumption, compared to the Centre and the North, despite a reduction of 5.1% in 2024
• In 2025, nine antibiotics active against multidrug-resistant infections were included in the Innovative Medicines Fund
• On 18 November, AIFA shines a spotlight on antibiotic resistance. The headquarters lights up in blue

Every year in the European Union, over 35,000 people die from infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, which is more than the combined total of deaths from influenza, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Annually, 4.3 million patients in the EU/European Economic Area (EEA) acquire at least one healthcare-related infection during their hospital stay, equating to one in 14 hospitalised patients each day. Many of these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat: one in three microorganisms is now resistant to key antibiotics, thereby limiting treatment options. Additionally, 3% of residents in long-term care facilities within the EU/EEA have at least one healthcare-related infection. These figures come from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), published today to mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2025. To highlight the importance of combating antibiotic resistance, the headquarters of the Italian Medicines Agency were illuminated in blue on 18 November. 

Read the full press release featuring ECDC and OsMed data and AIFA’s initiatives against antimicrobial resistance.