ACRONYM: TAKE CARE

TITLE: A European information and awareness campaign focusing specifically on the need for old people to stop any unnecessary use of antibiotics.

EACH Priorities
3.2.2. Improve citizens’ safety.
3.2.2.1. Improve rationale use of antibiotics and fighting against antimicrobial and antiviral resistance.

GENERAL FRAMEWORK
Since their discovery, antibiotics have revolutionised the way of patients’ treatment with bacterial infections and have contributed to reducing the mortality and morbidity from bacterial diseases. They are also an essential tool for modern medicine and common procedures such as transplants, chemotherapy for cancer and even orthopaedic surgery could not be performed without the availability of potent antibiotics. Unfortunately antibiotics have also been liable to misuse. Antibiotics are often unnecessarily prescribed for viral infections, against which they have no effect. Similarly when diagnoses are not accurately made, more often than not, broad-spectrum antibiotics, i.e. antibiotics that kill a large proportion of various bacteria and not only the bacteria responsible for the disease, are prescribed because the micro-organism responsible for the infection is not known. These examples of misuse promote the emergence and the selection of resistant bacteria. 
The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is becoming a public health problem. At present, the excessive use of these drugs is the main reason for the appearance of resistant bacteria. The main reason for this excessive consumption is the large number of respiratory infections of viral origin (colds) that are treated unnecessarily with antibiotics. There are two apparent reasons for this consumerist fervour: on the one hand, the patients themselves who go to the pharmacy and medicate themselves with antibiotics, and on the other hand, the doctors who give way to the enormous social pressure that increases during the winter months and end up prescribing antibiotics just to keep their patients happy.
Social constraints and cultural views of infectious conditions influence the use of antibiotics. Although the public’s demand for antibiotics, especially older people, often is perceived as high even for conditions without a clinical indication for antibiotic treatment, studies have shown that this demand is overestimated by the prescriber and antibiotics could therefore successfully be replaced by better information and follow-up. 
The role of the patients as consumers is growing stronger. They need access to information and knowledge to reduce their expectations of antibiotics in self limiting infections, and doctors need new tools to help them justify their treatment decisions. It could be unrealistic to expect people to restrict their antibiotic use in favour of a common good to prevent resistance—but if the arguments for restricting the use of antibiotics can be made sufficiently convincing, reduced demand from the consumer may be the strongest force driving change. Studies increasingly emphasise the risk for the individual when taking an antibiotic, including the risks of becoming a long term carrier of antibiotic resistant bacteria which might confer a greater risk in a subsequent severe infection. Reliable information on the adverse effects of antibiotics on the microbiological flora might provide a stronger incentive for not using antibiotics unnecessarily than would more general messages about risks for society through the development of resistance.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In this framework and in line with the message of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day organised by the ECDC, TAKE CARE campaign will aim to emphasize the importance of taking antibiotics responsibly involving prescribers, chemists and old patients and encouraging older people to follow their doctors’ instructions on how to take antibiotics in the appropriate way. In addition, the project will be implemented with a view to encourage the sharing of best practices about the responsible use of antibiotics and providing support and information to the target groups to reduce the antibiotics resistance phenomenon.
The awareness campaign will be structured to give clear and punctual information at EU level, but targeted on local needs, about how to get well without antibiotics also to reduce high costs of the national health systems.

THE MAIN APPLICANT
Coordinamento delle associazioni per la difesa dell'ambiente e dei diritti degli utenti e dei consumatori – CODACONS
CODACONS is a non profit organization founded in 1986 that involves associations working for consumers rights protection. It is one of the most important and representative consumers association in Italy, involved in different public commission and keeping contacts with similar international organization. CODACONS is organized in several head offices disseminated in the whole Italian territory. The goal of the association is the protection of consumer rights and interests with all the legal instruments against public or private subjects. 
In the last years, CODACONS and other consumers’ rights protection associations have always expressed their support to a responsible use of antibiotics.  

PROJECT WORK PLAN
WP1. Project management.
WP2. Analysis of the local context about the use and abuse of antibiotics in the participating countries.
WP3. European information and awareness campaign addressing older people.
WP4. Communication and dissemination of results.
WP5. Monitoring and evaluation.

TOTAL BUDGET
about 500.000 EUR (EC funds: 350.000 EUR/ partners co-financing: 150.000 EUR).