Government approves strategy to fight antibiotic resistance

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved the Strategy for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance until 2030. The corresponding document is published on the website of the government.

As stated in the description to the document, the strategy defines the state policy "to prevent and limit the spread of microbial resistance to antimicrobial drugs." The strategy provides for studying the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, monitoring its spread, developing antibiotics, informing the public about their use, as well as ensuring interdepartmental interaction and international cooperation in the field of combating antibiotic resistance.

According to the text of the document, at the first stage (until 2020), the government intends to raise public awareness about the rational use of antibiotics and their adequate replacement. it is also planned to promote a healthy lifestyle and in parallel to identify the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. At the second stage (until 2030), it is planned to reduce the number of cases when treatment is difficult due to the body's resistance to antibiotics.

The strategy was developed in accordance with the presidential decree of December 31, 2015. It is based on the “Fundamentals of the state policy in the field of ensuring chemical and biological safety until 2025” (approved in 2013), on the provisions developed at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in 2016, as well as on the Action Plan to combat resistance to antibiotics adopted by the World HEALTH Organization (WHO) in 2015.