Cyprus plans to launch a national campaign promoting the responsible use of antibiotics as part of wider efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said on Saturday.
Speaking at a conference on antimicrobial prescribing in primary healthcare, Charalambides said European data showed Cyprus continued to record high levels of antibiotic consumption and a significant burden from antimicrobial resistance, reducing available treatment options and making infections harder to treat.
Because most antibiotics are consumed in the community, personal doctors and paediatricians play a key role in ensuring rational prescribing, he said.
"The message to the public," he said, "must be clear: the need for an antibiotic is determined by the doctor."
The minister said the campaign would complement two National Action Plans covering antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention and control for 2026-2030.
He said Cyprus had already made infection-control committees and antibiotic stewardship teams mandatory in hospitals and was expanding monitoring through the BIOCARE electronic surveillance platform, developed with the University of Cyprus and funded by NextGenerationEU.
"Every prescription must serve a genuine therapeutic need," Charalambides said, adding that the ministry would continue working with healthcare professionals to ensure scientific evidence guides clinical practice.
Source: CNA
