The European surveillance activities EARSS and ESAC in the context of ABS International.

Development of resistance obstructs the successful use of antimicrobial drugs, since shortly after each and every introduction of a new antibiotic resistant pathogens have emerged. The hope of being able to reverse or at least slow down the occurrence of antibiotic resistance has led to a number of actions and initiatives. The project "ABS International - Implementing antibiotic strategies for appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals in member states of the European Union", together with the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS) and the European Surveillance on Antimicrobial Consumption (ESAC), covers a large proportion of possible actions against antibiotic resistance. The data generated by EARSS and ESAC are an essential prerequisite for targeted interventions to cope with the problem of antibiotic resistance. The project ABS International constitutes an impressive initiative to optimize the situation in hospitals in nine European member states.