In a radio interview this morning, Em. Prof. Herman Goossens addressed Belgium’s ongoing challenges in reducing unnecessary antibiotic use. His comments followed the announcement of a new five‑year national action plan by Minister of Public Health Frank Vandenbroucke, aimed at tackling persistently high antibiotic consumption in Belgium.

During the interview, Prof. Goossens emphasized that although antibiotic use in Belgium has decreased in recent years, the decline remains far too slow to keep pace with growing antimicrobial resistance. The government’s new plan includes, among other measures, a clinical decision‑support tool that will help physicians determine whether antibiotics are needed, and if so, which type is most appropriate.

He underscored that patients must also adjust their expectations, noting that antibiotics are often requested for common, viral infections where they offer no benefit. According to Prof. Goossens, greater public understanding is essential to ensure that antibiotics are used only when medically necessary.

The urgency of the issue is evident: more than 1,300 people in Belgium die every year from infections caused by antibiotic‑resistant bacteria, a figure that continues to rise due to decades of overuse in both human and veterinary medicine.

The full Radio 1 segment is available via VRT NWS (in Dutch): Listen to the Radio 1 interview