Cyprus continues to lag behind European Union targets for antimicrobial resistance management and hospital-acquired infections, according to new data.
The island nation failed to provide antibiotic usage data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for its 2023 report.
However, Cyprus’s 2022 figures showed the highest antibiotic consumption in Europe, with 33.5 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
The country ranks first in Europe for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence in hospitals.
Cases have risen to 15.5 per 100,000 population in 2023, marking a 126% increase from 2019 levels, significantly off track from the 2030 target of 5.6 cases.
Third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli infections have increased by 146% since 2019, reaching 15.2 cases per 100,000 population in 2023.
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae cases showed the most dramatic rise, surging 276% to 9.8 cases per 100,000 population, far exceeding the 2030 target of 2.5.
Pathologist-infectologist Nikolaos Spernovasilis told philenews that Cyprus leads Europe in hospital-acquired infections, citing a recent point-prevalence study.
He acknowledged recent Health Ministry initiatives to address these public health concerns but called for swifter action from the Health Insurance Organisation.
“Excessive antibiotic use accelerates antimicrobial resistance development, which, without proper infection prevention measures, leads to increased antibiotic usage. This vicious cycle is a silent but effective killer through multi-resistant pathogen infections”, Spernovasilis said.
