"Antibiotika var uundværlig for min behandling"

When Kristin Molven was diagnosed with lymphoma, her entire life was turned upside down.

She went from being a doctor to becoming a patient herself, and at one point, the cancer spread to her central nervous system, leaving her paralysed from the waist down for a period of time.

Today, Kristin Molven is cancer-free, but the experience has left a lasting impact on the 36-year-old Norwegian.

And there is one thing she is particularly grateful for: the availability of antibiotics to fight infections.

“Antibiotics did not cure my cancer, but they were essential to my treatment,” says Kristin Molven.

"I had to take antibiotics every day to prevent infections."

She is speaking at the EU conference on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), co-organised by the AMR Alliance, of which Pharmadanmark is a founding member.

The conference was part of the official programme of the Danish EU Presidency and took place over two days in November. The first day, held in Aarhus, focused on clinical aspects, while the second day in Copenhagen highlighted the political action needed to tackle AMR.

It is here, on the second day, with the conference hall in Copenhagen filled with leading politicians and experts from across Europe, that Kristin Molven shares her story on stage.

“I underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The treatment destroyed not only the cancer cells but also the white blood cells that are essential to the immune system. So I had to take antibiotics every day to prevent infections,” she explains.

The AMR agenda is particularly important to the Norwegian, as she experienced the consequences of antimicrobial resistance first-hand during her treatment.

After her third round of chemotherapy, she developed a fever. The cause was neutropenic sepsis, a form of sepsis that occurs when the immune system is weakened. The first course of antibiotics Kristin Molven received did not work. The bacteria in her body were resistant.

Fortunately, the second type of antibiotic she was given proved effective, allowing her treatment to continue.

Today, Kristin Molven wants to use her story to raise awareness of AMR. Without antibiotics, she – and many other cancer patients – would not have survived.

“We are constantly developing new cancer treatments, but without effective antibiotics, we cannot use them safely in patients,” she says.

‘The silent pandemic’

’The silent pandemic’

The purpose of the conference in Copenhagen was to increase political attention to the challenges posed by AMR.

A new WHO report shows that one in six common bacterial infections was caused by resistant bacteria in 2023 – and there is no doubt that international cooperation is essential if we are to overcome this threat.

This is also one of the key messages delivered by Denmark’s Minister for the Interior and Health, Sophie Løhde, when she takes the stage.

“AMR has been called ‘the silent pandemic’. But we need to speak up about AMR, and we need to act. The situation is urgent because it is about saving lives and protecting our healthcare systems,” says Sophie Løhde.

"Every year, 35,000 people die from AMR in the EU. That is equivalent to one death every 15 minutes."

The minister emphasises that AMR is not a challenge waiting for us in the future, but a very real and immediate threat.

“We tend to discuss AMR in very technical terms – and ‘AMR’ almost sounds like some kind of IT system. But we must remember one thing: this is about human lives,” says Sophie Løhde.

“Every year, 35,000 people die from AMR in the EU. That is equivalent to one death every 15 minutes.”

The minister emphasises that AMR is not a challenge waiting for us in the future, but a very real and immediate threat.

“We tend to discuss AMR in very technical terms – and ‘AMR’ almost sounds like some kind of IT system. But we must remember one thing: this is about human lives,” says Sophie Løhde.

“Every year, 35,000 people die from AMR in the EU. That is equivalent to one death every 15 minutes.”

Throughout the day, experts, industry representatives and politicians share their perspectives from the stage.

The agenda addresses some of the biggest questions: What can we do? Which countries can we learn from? What are the next steps?

Several promising solutions are presented. Among other things, the importance of vaccines and research is discussed repeatedly, with speakers emphasising the crucial need for substantial investment in these areas.

Another key theme is awareness and education. For example, it is essential to ensure that AMR is given sufficient attention in the education and training of healthcare professionals, so that it remains high on their list of priorities. It is equally important to improve public understanding of AMR, enabling citizens to take an active role in the fight against resistant bacteria.

Killing flies with atomic bombs

Throughout the conference, participants are repeatedly reminded that tackling AMR is ultimately about saving human lives.

Lives such as that of Norway’s Kristin Molven, who would not have survived her cancer diagnosis without antibiotics, and Bulgaria’s Borislava Ananieva, who also takes the stage to share her personal story.

She has undergone three kidney transplants and has been receiving immunosuppressive treatment for 22 years.

Months-long hospital stays have been a regular part of Borislava Ananieva’s life, and due to her prolonged treatments and frequent hospital-acquired infections, she has unfortunately encountered antibiotic resistance on numerous occasions.

Time and again, she has been treated with different types of antibiotics because one after another failed to control her infections.

“At one point, a doctor said to me: It is like using an atomic bomb to kill a single fly,” says Borislava Ananieva, before adding:

“Unfortunately, this is what AMR means for so many people living with chronic conditions.”