Antibiotic Resistance Costs NHS 2.4 Billion Euros Annually, Says Aifa

Rome: Antibiotic resistance has an estimated annual cost of 2.4 billion euros and represents a silent pandemic that causes some 12,000 deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections each year in Italy according to the latest estimates released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the President of medicine agency Aifa Robert Nistic² said on Tuesday.

According to Ansa News Agency, “Antibiotic resistance is a silent pandemic which, according to the ECDC’s latest estimates, not only causes 12,000 deaths a year in our Country but also generates economic damages that are worth 2.4 billion in annual costs for our National Healthcare service alone, according to the same European agency’s figures, with 2.7 (hospital) beds occupied due to such infections,” said Nistic².

The president of Aifa stressed that “this emergency requires a global approach” promoting a “responsible antibiotic use” while “strengthening prevention”.