More than 4,000 participants registered for the webinar, and over 1,000 Ukrainian medical professionals joined live, confirming the urgency of the topic and the need for up-to-date knowledge.

A recording of the webinar is now available at: https://youtu.be/ogMDQZToNLg

Participants received a comprehensive overview of the situation in Ukraine and around the world. According to Maria Pranting, scientific coordinator of ReAct in Sweden and researcher at the Department of Medical Sciences at Uppsala University, bacterial infections kill about 8 million people every year – not including tuberculosis. More than 1 million deaths are directly caused by antibiotic resistance, i.e. the inability of antibiotics to destroy bacteria that have learned to resist them. Only seven types of bacteria are the most dangerous, including Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. These are the ones that most often cause serious infections in hospitals, complicate the treatment of the wounded and pose the greatest threat in intensive care units.

The speakers emphasised that modern medicine would be unthinkable without effective antibiotics. They are needed not only to treat pneumonia or urinary tract infections – antibiotics ensure the safety of operations, transplants and chemotherapy, and help save the lives of premature babies and patients with compromised immune systems. Despite this, no new classes of antibiotics have appeared in over 37 years, and bacteria adapt much faster than medicine can invent tools to fight them.

Professor Linus Sandegren, MD, PhD, Professor of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology at Uppsala University, explained the mechanisms underlying resistance. He said that bacteria are able to change their structure, ‘borrow’ resistance genes from each other and neutralise antibiotics with special enzymes. One of the most striking examples was the outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae at Uppsala Hospital: a multi-resistant strain carrying a large plasmid with over 200 genes spread rapidly among patients and required immediate comprehensive measures, from repurposing wards to changing antibiotic prescription policies.

The webinar also emphasised that the problem extends far beyond hospitals. Antibiotics and resistant bacteria enter the environment through wastewater, farms and pharmaceutical production. In animal husbandry, for example, more than half of E. coli isolates in chickens in some countries no longer respond to traditional drugs. This affects not only food safety but also the economy: by 2035, the cost of treating resistant infections worldwide could reach $412 billion, with productivity losses exceeding $440 billion.

A separate part of the discussion was devoted to policy and global coordination. Although most countries have adopted national plans to combat AMR, only a few have secured funding and ensured effective implementation. That is why the world is moving towards a ‘One Health’ approach, which brings together medicine, agriculture, veterinary medicine, ecology and government institutions to jointly combat resistance.

Based on the results of the webinar, experts concluded that developing new antibiotics alone will not solve the problem. Systemic changes are needed: rational prescription of drugs, high-quality diagnostics, control of infections in hospitals, investment in scientific research and international partnerships. For Ukraine, which is experiencing war and fighting for the lives of the wounded every day, these steps are critically important.

Two more master classes are already planned as part of the series.

On 3 December, from 14:00 to 16:30, an online training session will be held entitled ‘From prevention to response: combating resistance in healthcare facilities’ (4 CPD points, simultaneous translation) – on systematic IPC, responding to outbreaks and the culture of rational antibiotic use. Registration: https://forms.gle/hMHgbVmE8Q6bKHuj8. 

On 9 December, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., there will be a training session entitled ‘The role of nurses and nursing assistants in antibiotic resistance: from theory to practice’ (4 CPD points, simultaneous translation), dedicated to practical IPC tools and working in clinical situations. Registration: https://forms.gle/xbgAJRVAu9piiSV97.

ReAct is one of the most renowned global networks working on the issue of antibiotic resistance since 2005. The network is present on four continents and combines scientific, educational and political activities. ReAct participates in the formation of global policies, cooperates with the WHO, governments and leading universities around the world, and dominates in the field of promoting innovative solutions for the rational use of antibiotics and the fight against resistant infections.

For several years now, ZDOROVI has been strengthening its focus on continuous medical development and infection control. More than 26,000 CPD certificates and the participation of over 2,200 doctors in support programmes demonstrate the systematic nature and scale of the organisation's work. The joint webinar with ReAct is part of a broader series of educational events designed to expand the knowledge of Ukrainian medical professionals, strengthen their ability to respond to challenges, and integrate best international practices into Ukrainian medicine.