Dutch academic institutions combine research into infectious disease and antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance and infectious diseases such as zika and Q fever are having an increasingly large impact on humans and animals, particularly in a densely populated country like the Netherlands. Experts in the areas of human and animal health are therefore joining forces. Edith Schippers, Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports, has opened this Netherlands Centre for One Health (NCOH) on 4 February.

The Netherlands Centre of One Health was initiated by Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wageningen UR, Erasmus MC and the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam.

“The establishment of the Netherlands Centre for One Health – a world first – demonstrates that we can consolidate our strengths in human health, in animal health, and in the environment. It is a major and important step”, says Minister Schippers. Although Dutch doctors and veterinarians have become increasingly reticent in their use of antibiotics in recent years, this is not yet the case in many European countries. For this reason, Minister Schippers wants to put the subject of antibiotic resistance on the European agenda during the Dutch presidency of the EU.

Research into humans and animals

The NCOH is bringing together knowledge in the areas of human and animal health. Leading scientists are setting up joint projects in order to control and prevent the threatening resistance problem. Different cattle feed, research into new medicines, treatment methods and methods to prevent spreading are some of the themes being addressed. This is the first time that medical, veterinary and environmental researchers are cooperating together this closely, and with the full support of the Dutch top sectors of Life Sciences & Health and Agri & Food. The centre’s base is prevention: Don’t wait until a problem arises, but prevent problems from occurring. “By combining all scientific knowledge we are able to make breakthroughs faster in the field of emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance,” says Anton Pijpers, one of the initiators of the NCOH. “An example is the development of new vaccines, new antibiotics or alternatives.”

One Health

The concept of One Health stands for promoting the health of people, animals and the environment by carrying out coherent research within these fields. Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance is one of the four areas of focus of the new virtual institute. One Health will also be carrying out research into Smart & Healthy Farming, Healthy Wildlife & Ecosystems and Emerging Disease Preparedness, thus controlling new infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. The latter theme is a topical issue. At the end of January, it became clear that the Netherlands already has its first patients suffering from the zika virus. In recent years, there have already been outbreaks of bird flu, Mers, Ebola, Sars and Q fever around the world. The theme of One Health is particularly important in a densely populated country like the Netherlands. Seventeen million people live closely on a small piece of land, together with 120 million animals. Infectious diseases that arise elsewhere in the world can easily travel to the Netherlands. And vice versa. Prevention of and combating infectious diseases are a global need, and that can only take place by combining knowledge and expertise.

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“The NCOH will make it possible for us to realise far faster breakthroughs in the area of emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance,"

said Prof. Anton Pijpers,  member of the Top Sector advisory board on BNR news radio.

Source: NCOH

Health minister Schippers calls on EU member states to act against antimicrobial resistance

"Unlike Zika and Ebola, antimicrobial resistance rarely hits the news headlines. Yet the increase in resistant bacteria is undermining our healthcare system, slowly but surely. Every year, as many as 25,000 people in Europe die from untreatable bacterial infections. We’ve already done a great deal of paperwork on this: now is the time for action." These words were spoken by health minister Edith Schippers at the opening of the European ministerial conference on antimicrobial resistance.

Here are some highlights of the speech of Minister Schippers at the opening of the conference:

Even in countries where resistance rates are relatively low, like in the Netherlands, the consequences of antibiotic resistance sneak up on us.

• A child starting out with just a scratch, ended up in hospital for the duration of two weeks, because the wound got infected with a resistant bacteria.
• Some of our best doctors and nurses are forced to stay at home because they carry resistant bacteria.
• An intern had to quit medical school and change career because he could not get rid of a multi-resistant Staph bacteria.
• A patient got infected with resistant tuberculosis abroad. He has to stay in quarantine in a remote clinic for weeks, maybe months, away from friends and family. No headlines... But the impact on people’s lives is huge.

I am convinced that there is room for stronger cooperation within the current competencies. Because the fight against antimicrobial resistance is not about competencies. It is about political will. Political will to take real action.

• Infection prevention and prudent use of antibiotics, both in healthcare and agriculture.
• New antibiotics and alternatives for antibiotics.
• And new, quick and affordable diagnostic instruments.

So let us move from words to deeds. From paper to practice. From the drawing table to implementation.

Watch the video: How fast can bacteria spread?

On Monday 15 February many of the LSH stakeholders and partners combined their intellectual forces to consider the use of a new finance instrument Health Impact Bond (HIB) to supercharge social innovation and cost-reductions in the LSH sector. This initiative was led by PGGM and Society Impact. With the help of several examples of elegant and evidence based, but at the same time (almost) stranded innovations, the instrument of the HIB was debated in several workshops. The congress concluded in some next steps to further explore, develop and use the HIB instrument, most probably in combination with the recently provided EZ-VWS-RVO instrument “Health Deal”, where policy makers should formally commit themselves to join forces to implement innovations via the assistance of breakthrough policymaking.

Read more on the Health Impact Bond.

Building bridges