Antibiotic resistance
In order to be able to continue to use antibiotics as effective medicines for treating bacterial infections in humans and animals, coordinated efforts are needed to prevent antibiotic resistance. On 1 December 2005, therefore, the Government approved the Bill Strategy for coordinated efforts to prevent antibiotic resistance and healthcare-associated infections (Govt. Bill 2005/06:50). The Bill was approved by the Riksdag on 16 March 2006.
The strategy emphasises that municipalities and county councils have particularly important roles in work to promote good standards of hygiene and a rational use of antibiotics. To support their efforts, the Government wishes to clarify the requirements for good hygienic standards in health, medical and dental care.
An important part of the strategy is international cooperation. In Sweden, antibiotic resistance is not as common as in many other countries.To continue to keep the prevalence of antibiotic resistance at a low level, international cooperation is needed to convince more countries to work towards safer use of antibiotics. The fact that people, animals and foodstuffs are now crossing national borders more than ever before also increases the risk of resistant bacteria spreading throughout the world.
Because of this, antibiotic resistance is a global problem for public health.
You can read more about the Bill in the fact sheet that you can download through the link to the right, under the heading Related publications.
About antibiotic resistance
Antibiotics are medicines against bacterial infections. They belong to the group of antimicrobial medicines.
Antimicrobial medicines can be produced naturally - from bacteria, fungi or plants - and artificially. These medicines kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
Antibiotic resistance means that bacteria have developed mechanisms which prevent or reduce the effect of antibiotic substances. The prevalence of disease-inducing bacteria and other microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotic substances has steadily increased since antibiotics began to be used to treat bacterial infections at the end of the 1930s.
