Issue Misuse of antibiotics and low public awareness accelerating resistance

Summary

The report points to self-medication, unnecessary prescriptions, stopping treatment early and heavy use in livestock as the practices behind Spain's high antibiotic consumption. It sees them as evidence of insufficient awareness across society, accelerating the loss of effectiveness of medicines essential to public health. In 2023 resistance was linked to 24,000 deaths in Spain, and on current trends around 45,000 people a year could die by 2050. There is still time to stop the trend, and adequate access and responsible use are named as the keys to preserving antibiotics. The National Plan against Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN) 2025 to 2027 sets a multisectoral strategic framework to advance surveillance, control, prevention, training and research as an integrated response. AI-based early detection and drug discovery research are also opening new possibilities.