Masterarbeit

Veterinary Regulatory Measures to Counteract Antimicrobial Resistance in Germany and on EU-Level ***

Dr. Thilo Nölke (2024)

Summary
Language: English
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing human health and global health systems. The World Health Organization has declared the fight against antimicrobial resistance one of the top ten global health priorities for the current decade. One of the greatest burdens of antimicrobial resistance is the continuing loss of the most effective and successful pharmacological tools: Antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance renders many antibiotics ineffective and leads to significant increases in morbidity and mortality of bacterial infections. In addition, infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria threaten many other achievements of modern medicine, particularly in hospital settings.
Action plans and initiatives to counteract antimicrobial resistance have been agreed at global intergovernmental level, for example by the World Health Organization, and there is broad agreement among policymakers worldwide that reducing antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing challenges. With the so-called "One Health" approach, inter-sectoral collaboration between the health, veterinary, and environmental sectors is currently taking centre stage in the fight against antimicrobial resistance at both global and national levels.
This thesis focusses on the veterinary regulatory measures that have been implemented and are currently underway in Germany and the European Union to counteract antibiotic resistance. The primary aim of these measures is to reduce the overall use of antibiotics in the veterinary sector to a therapeutically required minimum and to promote the prudent and responsible use of antibiotics by veterinarians, particularly of medically important antibiotics for human medicine. The ultimate aim is to reduce antibiotic resistance in the veterinary sector and to maintain therapeutic options for human and veterinary medicine.
This thesis provides an overview of the beginnings of antibiotic restrictions in the veterinary sector in Europe and describes the current veterinary regulatory landscape and the measures implemented at German and European Union level in recent years to reduce antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. It also outlines their impact to date on reducing antibiotic sales and use in the veterinary sector and on antibiotic resistance. With regard to antibiotic sales and use, clear trends and significant reductions are evident in Germany and the European Union, whereas the developments regarding antibiotic resistance are so far more tentative and inconsistent. Finally, this thesis takes a critical look at the regulatory measures implemented so far and discusses further measures and priorities.
Pages: 132
Annexes: 3, Pages: 4