Abstract
The combined burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Europe is substantial. In 2020, AMR was implicated in an estimated 35,000 deaths, while NCDs account for around 90% of all-cause mortality. Despite their immense burden and deep interconnections, the two challenges are typically addressed in separate silos, potentially undermining the effectiveness of interventions to tackle them. People living with NCDs, such as cancer or diabetes, are often more susceptible to infection due to impaired immune systems or treatments such as chemotherapy. This increases the likelihood of acquiring or spreading infections, including those resistant to treatment. Furthermore, environmental and lifestyle factors associated with NCDs, such as poor diet and pollution, can also weaken immune function and raise susceptibility to infection. These interactions are closely linked to health equity, as disadvantaged populations are disproportionately exposed to such risk factors, reinforcing a cycle of vulnerability. The One Health approach offers an opportunity to address these interconnected challenges more effectively. For example, tackling shared environmental determinants, such as air pollution, could deliver a double public health dividend by reducing the burden of NCDs, including chronic respiratory disease, while lowering infection risks and the need for antimicrobials, which is a key driver of AMR. This workshop will bring together a multidisciplinary, One Health-aligned panel to spotlight the links between AMR and NCDs and examine ways of addressing these interconnected challenges. Discussions will span prevention measures, from healthier lifestyles, infection control and environmental determinants, to ensuring access to effective antimicrobials when needed. The panel will also explore integrated, patient-centred communication strategies to clearly explain how these two problems interact. In doing so, the session will emphasise the potential to move from a dual burden to a double dividend by addressing AMR and NCDs together.
Key messages
• AMR and NCDs are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing, yet they are often addressed separately in policy and practice.
• Using a One Health approach can turn this dual burden into a double dividend by synergising interventions, from prevention to communication, to jointly reduce AMR and NCD risks.
Speakers/Panellists
Nveed Chaudhary
Jibraan Chaudhary Sepsis Research Foundation, Southampton, UK
Nienke van de Sande-Bruinsma
AMR, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
Marie-Cécile Ploy
UMR Inserm 1092, Limoges, France