Conference on Pharma Pollution: An Ignored Cause of Antimicrobial Resistance

Conference at the European Parliament about Pharma Pollution

Environmental pollution from irresponsible antibiotic manufacturing and obscure global supply chains, as well as from the overuse of antibiotics in veterinary medicine is one of the important reasons for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). EUAA attended an event in the European Parliament. The event was hosted by EPHA (European Public Health Alliance), Health Care Without Harm, and MEP hosts Martin Hausling (Greens/EFA) and Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE).

EUAA’s call by Dr Madan Thangavelu at the concluding session:

“New initiatives and bold research directions are needed in this exploration for newer options and alternatives to antibiotics. This will necessarily involve help and collaboration from several DGs – particularly Joint Research Centre (JRC), Research and Innovation (RTD) and perhaps even Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) in the search and research and development of alternatives to current antibiotics.”

EUAA was earlier invited to a meeting in the European Commission’s DG-SANTE, together with with members of EUROCAM – to discuss the issue of defining a set of practical actions for the European Commission to tackle AMR. EUROCAM’s policy document to mark EU Antibiotics Awareness Day 18 November 2015, “The role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in reducing the problem of antimicrobial resistance.”