SIGRE will participate in the stakeholder forum on the environment at the EU-JAMRAI 2 annual meeting, which will take place from 28 to 30 January 2026 in Vienna (Austria).

EUJAMRAI2 is the second edition of the European Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-associated Infections, and has been created with the ambitious goal of changing the global approach to antimicrobial resistance by applying the "One Health" approach to humans, animals and the environment.

This project aims to lead the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe, a major threat to public health that is already responsible for more than 35,000 deaths per year in the European Union and 1.3 million worldwide, by helping countries implement national plans and improve the surveillance and prevention of resistant infections.

Spain is once again playing a crucial role in this second part of the project through the participation of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), which is leading the areas of communication and awareness-raising and co-leading dissemination and the Antibiotic Use Optimisation Programmes (PROA).

Within this framework, EU-JAMRAI 2 has invited SIGRE to participate in the environment panel to share Spain's experience in the correct closure of the life cycle of medicines and its contribution to mitigating the dispersion of their residues in the environment, which can favour the emergence or spread of AMR.

"This participation underlines SIGRE's ongoing commitment to public health and environmental sustainability objectives, reinforcing its role as a key player in European initiatives that promote the responsible use of medicines and the protection of global health," said Miguel Vega, Director General of SIGRE.

For his part, Ricardo Carapeto, Coordinator of the environmental part of the PRAN and Head of the Environmental Safety Area of the Veterinary Medicines Department of the AEMPS, states that "the problem of resistance cannot be understood or addressed without being aware that bacteria and resistance genes act in a single scenario that is shared by humans, animals and the environment. Any action that reduces the release of antimicrobial residues into the environment helps in the fight against resistance. SIGRE is a magnificent example of this, and its experience can serve as inspiration for other countries within and outside the EU."

SIGRE, a tool for the pharmaceutical sector in the fight against AMR

Faced with the serious public health problem posed by AMR, the pharmaceutical sector has shown its commitment to the fight not only through its significant contribution to research into new antibiotics and their proper use, but also by promoting measures, through SIGRE, which, under the "One Health" approach, allow this fight to be tackled from a threefold perspective: health, the environment and awareness.

From a health perspective, SIGRE encourages the regular review of home medicine cabinets. Once a course of treatment has been completed, any leftover medicines and their packaging should be taken to the pharmacy and deposited at the SIGRE Point, thus reducing the temptation of uncontrolled self-medication, a key aspect in the correct use of antibiotics.

In terms of the environment, SIGRE manages the collection and treatment of antibiotic residues deposited in pharmacy containers, thus preventing the contamination of rivers and soil that would occur if they were thrown away or down the drain.

A third key factor in SIGRE's contribution to the fight against AMR is public awareness. An example of this is its latest campaign, "Buen Punto" (Good Point), in which one of the three adverts uses humour, warmth and a touch of irony to encourage the public to reflect on the issue under the title "Superbugs are super creepy, aren't they?".