Press release from the Ministry of Labour, Health, Solidarity and Families – Paris, 20 May 2025
On the occasion of the World Health Assembly from 19 to 27 May 2025 and the General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health from 26 to 30 May 2025, France reiterates the urgency of combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the ten most serious threats to global health. [1], and announces a series of priorities for the next two years.
Representing France on the global stage
In recent years, France has strengthened its international involvement in the fight against AMR through the implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach, one of the priorities set by the French strategy on global health (2023-2027). It therefore manages, via Inserm, the European joint action dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections (EU-JAMRAI 2). In the coming years, France will continue this momentum and strengthen its international commitment by fully investing in future deadlines on this issue.
Specific priorities between now and 2027
To implement these priorities, the Government is launching new initiatives based on the «One Health» approach, which recognises the links between human health, animal health and ecosystems. :
- Boosting research : the priority research programme led by Inserm, launched in 2021, has been extended until 2026. A additional call for projects will be published in 2025 to explore insufficiently studied fields ;
- Better monitoring for better action: a joint ANSES/Santé publique France working group will be launched in autumn 2025 to develop integrated surveillance, in order to better analyse resistance and thus adjust policies. In addition, an ambitious data analysis strategy could draw on the Health Data Hub and Green Data for Health to improve prediction and public action. ;
- Preserving existing treatments: joint efforts will be made in human and animal health to propose various measures to maintain a diverse therapeutic arsenal that is essential to ensuring the effectiveness of antimicrobials. ;
- Raise widespread awareness: the National Health Conference will be mobilised to identify the most effective communication and prevention tools.
- Former pour prévenir : en septembre 2025 à Toulouse, une nouvelle école universitaire de recherche dispensera une formation sur l’antibiorésistance selon l’approche « Une seule santé ».
A 10-year strategy for structuring action
All these measures are taken from the 2024-2034 interministerial roadmap, adopted in September 2024. It is based on five key areas :
- Mobilisation of all stakeholders
- Strengthening research
- Optimising surveillance
- Preserving the therapeutic arsenal
- France’s international influence.
Its implementation is overseen by the General Secretariat for European Affairs (SGAE), seven ministries (National Education, Health, Economy, Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ecology, Agriculture, Higher Education and Research), as well as six agencies or operators:
- Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé (ANSM) ;
- Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses) ;
- Caisse nationale de l’Assurance maladie (Cnam) ;
- Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) ;
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) ;
- Santé publique France (SpF).
| Antimicrobial resistance: the urgent need for action. |
| Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when certain microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) evolve over time and no longer respond to drugs, which lose their effectiveness. This resistance makes it more difficult to treat infections and increases the risk of spread, severe forms of disease and death. Faced with the emergence of new diseases and increasing resistance, it is urgent to preserve the existing therapeutic arsenal. Figures [2] which challenge: – France: 104,000 cases of resistant bacterial infections each year, with nearly 4,500 deaths linked to multi-resistant bacteria – Europe: more than 865,000 cases of resistant bacterial infections per year, with more than 38,000 deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance. – Worldwide: 39 million cumulative deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance could occur by 2050. |
[1] Source OMS : https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance#:~:text=L’OMS%20a%20d%C3%A9clar%C3%A9%20que,de%20pathog%C3%A8nes%20r%C3%A9sistants%20aux%20m%C3%A9dicaments.
[2] About the data FR : Revised estimates of burden of disease for antimicrobial resistance
About EU data: Assessing the health burden of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU/EEA, 2016-2020
On world data: Assessing the health burden of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU/EEA, 2016-2020
Press contacts
- Direction générale de la santé
presse-dgs@sante.gouv.fr / 01 87 0592 12 - Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire
ministere.presse@agriculture.gouv.fr / 01 49 55 60 11 - Ministère de la Transition écologique, de la Biodiversité, de la Forêt, de la Mer et de la Pêche
presse@ecologie.gouv.fr - Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères
presse.dcp@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Tél : +33 (0) 1 43 17 52 01