Following the success of the first edition of EU-JAMRAI, 120 organizations from 30 countries, including the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) and 20 other Spanish entities, including the Biosistemak Institute, are joining forces in EU-JAMRAI2 to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and amplify Europe’s response to this public health challenge.

The European Commission, policy makers and organizations from 30 countries have met in Paris on February 13 2024, to launch the second Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (EU-JAMRAI 2). Its main objective is to more effectively combat antimicrobial resistance, a major public health threat responsible for more than 35,000 deaths per year in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) and 1.3 million people worldwide. By 2023, the EU agreed on recommended targets for antimicrobial resistance, and measures including infection prevention and control, surveillance and monitoring, promoting innovation and access, prudent use of antimicrobials, and raising awareness.

The project is coordinated by the French Agency Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), with the support of the French Ministry of Health, and also involves the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) and 20 other state entities, including the Biosistemak Institute representing the Basque Country. It will have a consortium of 120 partners from 30 countries, and the collaboration of European organizations such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), together with global entities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Environment Organization (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), who are participating to enrich the discussion with their expertise and ensure consistency of the project with existing initiatives. In addition, human, animal and environmental health professionals, as well as patient representatives, are integral components of this Joint Action.

EU-JAMRAI2 is co-financed by the partners involved and the EU4Health Program, with a total budget of €62.5 million, of which €50 million comes from the European Commission. This level of funding underlines the priority given by the European Union to the fight against antimicrobial resistance. It builds on the success of EU-JAMRAI 1, which ran from 2017 to 2021, a project aimed at developing a “one health” work program that brought together EU Member States, along with Iceland, Norway and Ukraine.

The new Joint Action, which started on January 1, 2024, aims to implement concrete actions to effectively monitor, prevent and combat antibiotic resistance in all areas of human, animal and environmental health, under the “One Health” strategy, empowering participating countries to strengthen and inform their national action plans. The mission is to reduce the risk of exposure of European citizens to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This involves structuring integrated surveillance and strengthening infection prevention on a “One Health” scale, while improving care for patients with bacterial infections, e.g. by ensuring access to effective and proportionate antibiotic therapy.

Biosistemak is the leader of the evaluation work package (Work Package 3), together with the Fundación para la Formación e Investigación Sanitarias de la Región de Murcia, which co-leads this work package. The main objectives of the project evaluation are:

– To monitor the compliance and quality of the EU-JAMRAI-2 project activities, as well as the degree of stakeholder satisfaction, ensuring that the project is progressing adequately according to the work plan.

– Assess the relevance and pertinence of the project results in terms of the needs and expectations of the identified target audiences.

– Conduct an evaluation of the impact of the Joint Action in terms of sustainability, Member State commitment, antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, health surveillance, access to antimicrobial resistance-related products and awareness of all stakeholders involved in JAMRAI2.

For more information on the EU_JAMRAI2 kick-off meeting, click on the following link: https://sites.google.com/view/eu-jamrai2-kick-off-meeting/