"Delay in Control Will Be a Disaster"...Government to Launch All-Out Management of Antibiotic Resistance (Comprehensive)

"The current situation of antimicrobial resistance in Korea is not only an immediate national health threat but also a disaster for future generations. We can no longer delay the timing of control."

Im Seunggwan, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, announced the '3rd National Antimicrobial Resistance Management Plan (2026-2030)' on the 25th at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Osong, North Chungcheong. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

원본보기 아이콘

Im Seunggwan, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said at a briefing held at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, on the 25th, "The number of deaths caused by antimicrobial resistance in 2021 is estimated at 22,000," and added, "If the current trend continues, the figure is expected to nearly triple to around 60,000 in 30 years." Commissioner Im warned, "The population with weakened immunity is rapidly increasing due to aging, and the spread of resistant bacteria is expanding in long-term care hospitals and similar facilities. If the current structure continues, there is a high risk that control will become even more difficult."

On this day, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced the "3rd National Antimicrobial Resistance Management Plan (2026-2030)," which it developed together with seven related ministries and agencies: the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Rural Development Administration. The 3rd plan aims to address the limitations of the 2nd plan (2021-2025), which focused on establishing an institutional foundation, and sets the reduction of antimicrobial use and the strengthening of infection prevention as its core goals.

Both antimicrobial consumption and resistance rates in Korea are higher than in major advanced countries. In 2023, daily antimicrobial use per 1,000 population was 31.8 DID, about 1.6 times the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 19.5. The resistance rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major resistant pathogen, was also 45.2% in 2023, significantly exceeding the global average of 27.1%. The government believes that high medical accessibility and relatively active use of prescription-only medicines have, in part, led to increased exposure to antimicrobials.

The core of this 3rd plan is the expansion of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP). ASP is a system in which a dedicated team consisting of infectious disease specialists, pharmacists, and others monitors and intervenes in antimicrobial prescriptions, and a pilot project has been underway since November 2024. The goal is to first establish the program by next year in general hospitals with 301 beds or more, and then expand it to all general hospitals by 2030. In parallel, the government will also train and develop specialized personnel.

An official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, "Through the 2nd plan, we established an institutional foundation, but there were limitations in meaningfully reducing resistance rates and usage," and added, "As many as 30% of hospitals at or above the general hospital level are not making full use of ASP. Participation by all medical institutions must be expanded in order to substantially reduce antimicrobial use."

The government also took into account that antimicrobial use is not limited to the human medical sector. Antimicrobial consumption is actually higher in non-human sectors such as agriculture, livestock, and fisheries. Accordingly, the government will revise the system so that all antimicrobials are used only under prescriptions issued by veterinarians or aquatic animal disease control officers, and will expand the scope of the Positive List System (PLS) for managing the list of permitted residual substances. It will also strengthen the management of sales records for pesticides (including antimicrobials) used in crop production.

Moon Songmi, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, is presenting at a briefing on the "3rd National Antimicrobial Resistance Management Plan (2026-2030)" held at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Osong, Chungbuk.
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

원본보기 아이콘

Experts unanimously stated that a whole-of-government approach is needed to respond to antimicrobial resistance. Moon Songmi, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, said, "There are not many newly developed treatment options for resistant bacteria at present, and their therapeutic effects are also limited," and added, "There are quite a few cases in which patients die from bacterial infections after complex, high-risk surgeries, so efforts are needed from everyone."

Kim Sungmin, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Chungnam Sejong Hospital, said, "Antimicrobials are used in a wide range of areas, including not only humans but also animals and the environment, and resistance spreads along these pathways," and emphasized, "A government-level One Health approach, which looks at humans, animals, and the environment in an integrated manner, is essential."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.