World Bank to finance an international center against antibiotic resistance
Denmark' leading position when it comes to reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock production is recommending the North European country for the establishment of an international center against antibiotic resistance, announced the Danish Minister of Environment and Food. "Our yellow card scheme and focus on treating sick animals and human health make us one of the countries that has the lowest antibiotic consumption both in the EU and internationally", declared minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen.
Last year, one million persons have developed resistance to antibiotic treatment and 10,000 people have died. On a global level, WHO estimates that this figure will increase to 10 million people annually by 2050, thereby killing more people of antibiotic resistance than of cancer.
Therefore, the World Bank believes that there is a need for an international research and knowledge center in the area. Denmark's leading position in the area has meant that the World Bank has initiated a dialogue with Denmark on the establishment of an international center in Copenhagen, which is to gather knowledge and action to combat antibiotic resistance - both in relation to human health and in animal production.
The proposition was presented to the European Commission by minister Jensen. "Antibiotic resistance is a global issue that is high on the agenda in the EU. One of the prerequisites for the international center's success is of course that the center gets good cooperation with relevant parties. I, therefore, hope that my European colleagues and the Commission will welcome the forthcoming center and look forward to a dialogue with interested European colleague", explained the Danish official.
The Danish government announced in November that it has decided to support the establishment of the future center in Denmark and that it is now in dialogue with other countries, organizations and donors, who share the long-term perspective, on cooperation and co-financing for the center. "The establishment of the international center in Denmark will require more partners. But with this support that we meet, it points to the fact that the center may already see the light of day in 2019," added Jakob Ellemann Jensen.
The center has got the working name ICARS - International Center of Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions - and it is precisely solutions for antibiotic resistance that will be a main task for the coming center. The idea is that the center will eventually be able to develop into a scientific secretariat in the style of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
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