Country visits reports

An ECDC country visit team conducted an assessment mission on 20-24 November 2017 to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issues in Belgium with the overall objective to provide an observation-based assessment of the situation in Belgium regarding prevention and control of AMR through prudent use of antibiotics and infection control.

ECDC and the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Food Safety jointly carried out this country visit to Bulgaria from 15 to 19 October 2018. The visit was carried out following the invitation from the competent authorities to assist them in the preparation of their national strategy for tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) based on a 'One Health' perspective.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Food Safety jointly carried out this country visit to Estonia from 25 to 29 March 2019. The visit was carried out following the invitation from the competent authorities to assist them in the preparation of their national strategy for tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) based on a 'One Health' perspective.

ECDC and the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Food Safety jointly carried out this country visit to Ireland from 7 to 11 October 2019. The visit was carried out following the invitation from the competent authorities to assist them in the development and implementation of their national strategy for tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) based on a 'One Health' approach.

An ECDC team conducted visits and meetings to Italy on 9-13 January 2017 to specifically discuss and assess the situation in the country regarding prevention and control of AMR. Observations from this ECDC country visit confirm that the AMR situation in Italian hospitals and regions poses a major public health threat to the country. If the current trends of carbapenem resistance and colistin resistance in gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and A. baumannii are not reversed, key medical interventions will be compromised in the near future.

As part of an ECDC country visit to Latvia on 26–30 September 2011, an ECDC team conducted visits and meetings to discuss AMR issues in Latvia and provide an assessment. Compared with many other EU countries, the present AMR situation of Latvia is favourable. There is an infection control legislation that is under implementation and the legislation is a good basis for improving infection control practices.

An ECDC team conducted visits and meetings to the country on 29 May - 2 June 2017, with the objective of providing an evidence-based assessment of the situation. Antibiotic consumption in Luxembourg is at the EU average in hospitals, but higher than the EU average in the community. The AMR levels in bacterial isolates from humans are at or below the EU average.

The ECDC and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, at the invitation of the Maltese authorities, jointly carried out a country visit from 3 to 7 July 2017. The overall aim of the visit was to assist them in the further development and implementation of their national policies and strategies for tackling antimicrobial resistance based on a One Health perspective.

An ECDC country visit team conducted an assessment mission during the period 12–16 March 2018 to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issues in Norway. The overall objective of the mission was to provide an observation-based assessment of the situation in Norway regarding prevention and control of AMR through prudent use of antibiotics and infection control.

An ECDC team conducted visits and meetings to discuss AMR issues in Romania with the overall objective of providing an evidence-based assessment of the situation in Romania regarding prevention and control of AMR through prudent use of antibiotics and infection control.

On 15-19 February 2016 an ECDC team conducted visits and meetings to discuss AMR issues in Spain, with the overall objective of providing an evidence-based assessment of the situation in Spain. The AMR situation in Spain poses a major public health threat to the country. Antimicrobial consumption in primary care and hospitals is among the highest in the EU/EEA and infection prevention and control and environmental cleaning measures vary significantly among hospitals and units.