What is the role of MedTech in tackling antimicrobial resistance?

Posted on 04.02.2016

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it (WHO). According to a research conducted by the UK, by 2050 there will be 10 million deaths attributed to AMR, which is more than deaths caused by cancer. This also means that simple infections and wounds can become deadly.

AMR is high on the political agenda: the European Commission’s DG SANTE considers it as one of its key priorities and so does the current Dutch Presidency of the Council. In addition, WHO published a Global Action Plan on AMR and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stepped up its surveillance efforts of AMR and antibiotic consumption. These are just some of the many ongoing initiatives.

The MedTech Europe Patient Safety Task Force has been active in responding to this growing concern. In fact, it is often forgotten how crucial MedTech is in the fight against AMR. It can not only help with effective antibiotic use and prevention of cross-contamination through the use of rapid diagnostic devices or advanced wound dressings, but it can also monitor the patient. E-health solutions in monitoring are a very effective way to track patient adherence to prescriptions, one of the main causes of resistance.

An infographic explaining the causes, challenges and MedTech solutions for AMR is available on the MedTech Europe website. You can download it here.

For more information, please contact Timea Rezi-Kato.