Ireland has launched its third national plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that drug-resistant infections pose a growing threat to public health and could undermine modern medicine unless urgent action is taken.
The One Health National Action Plan, known as iNAP3, sets out a strategy for 2026–2030 and was jointly announced by the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon.
The plan adopts a “One Health” approach, recognising the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health. Its publication coincides with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
Carroll MacNeill said, “The World Health Organisation has declared that antimicrobial resistance is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. This threat requires a multisectoral approach across human, animal, and environmental health to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials for future generations.”
Heydon described AMR as one of the greatest health challenges of our time, praising the farming and veterinary communities for “real leadership in reducing antimicrobial use and embracing best practice to optimise animal health”.
Infection prevention
The plan outlines measures to strengthen infection prevention and control, improve diagnostics, and promote responsible antimicrobial use across sectors. It also calls for enhanced surveillance, biosecurity in agriculture, and greater emphasis on communication and behaviour change.
Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) echoed the urgency, warning that antibiotic resistance is accelerating at an “unforeseen pace” and that the health impact of resistant infections is now comparable to influenza, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.
Dr Eimear Brannigan, HSE national clinical lead for antimicrobial resistance and infection control, said that while antibiotics are lifesaving drugs when used appropriately to treat bacterial infections, “We have become reliant on antibiotics being effective to treat or prevent infection during many of our routine operations.”
Brannigan cautioned that widespread use in humans, animals and crops has driven the emergence of resistant strains, sometimes called ‘superbugs’.
As part of its response, the HSE published its own five-year AMR and Infection Control Action Plan, which aligns with iNAP3 and sets six priorities: raising awareness, improving surveillance, reducing infection spread, optimising antibiotic use in healthcare, promoting research and investment in new medicines and diagnostics, and strengthening governance for a coordinated national approach.
Dr Scott Walkin, GP and AMR lead with the Irish College of General Practitioners, stressed that antibiotics are ineffective against viral illnesses. He stated that unnecessary use can lead to side effects and promote resistance. Vaccination, he noted, remains one of the best ways to prevent viral infections.
iNAP3 strategy
The iNAP3 strategy builds on earlier initiatives and sets out a comprehensive agenda to curb antimicrobial resistance. It prioritises tighter infection prevention and control in hospitals and community settings, alongside improved diagnostic capacity to ensure antibiotics are prescribed only when clinically necessary.
The plan also seeks to promote responsible antimicrobial use across human and veterinary medicine, strengthen surveillance systems and biosecurity measures in agriculture, and drive behavioural change through targeted public awareness campaigns.
It places a strong emphasis on research and innovation, including investment in new medicines and advanced diagnostic tools to safeguard treatment options for the future.
A silent pandemic
Across Europe, antimicrobial resistance causes more than 35,000 deaths annually and costs healthcare systems an estimated €1.1 billion per year, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The economic toll could reach €11.7 billion annually when productivity losses are included, while global projections suggest AMR could cost up to US$3.4 trillion in GDP losses per year by 2030.
The EU has set five targets for 2030, including a 20% reduction in antibiotic use, ensuring 65% of antibiotics are first-line treatments, and cutting bloodstream infections caused by three major resistant bacteria.
Progress has been mixed: MRSA infections have fallen by 20.4%, exceeding the target, but carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections have surged by more than 60%, and resistant E. coli infections have risen by over 5% since 2019.
Antibiotic consumption also increased in 2024, contrary to the reduction goal, and the share of first-line antibiotics remains stagnant at around 60%, below the 65% target.
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