Antibiotic resistance behind 3,000 deaths a year in Belgium

The University of Antwerp has been commissioned by the European Union to come up with a plan to get Belgian healthcare providers to be more cautious with antibiotics. As many as 2,000 to 3,000 Belgians die each year due to hospital-acquired infections, many caused by bacteria which has become resistant to antibiotics through over-use.

The use of antibiotics in Belgium has not decreased since 2007, which is in line with many other European countries, where doctors prescribe too many antibiotics. Over-use of antibiotics eventually makes them ineffective. Across Europe, an estimated 25,000 people die every year from infections that have become resistant to drugs.

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the three greatest threats to human health.