Antibiotic use in Belgium continues to fall after its sharp rise in the post-Covid years, though some medicines are still being prescribed too often according to an analysis by the Independent Health Insurance Funds covering 2.4 million members.
Between July 2025 and June 2026, 28.6% of members of the Independent Health Insurance Funds, which operate in French-speaking Belgium through Partenamut, were dispensed at least one antibiotic by a community pharmacy.
That represents a 5% relative decline compared with the previous 12-month period, and a 13% drop compared with 2018-2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The total volume of antibiotics dispensed also fell, down by 0.8 million defined daily doses, a decrease of 5.8% over the same period.
Despite the downward trend, the organisation said further progress is needed. The European Union wants to cut total antibiotic use in humans 20% compared with 2019 levels by 2030, and Belgium has not yet met that target.
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The funds also said there is room to improve how closely prescribing follows current guidance. Amoxicillin on its own should be used more often where appropriate, they said.
So-called second-line antibiotics, which are generally reserved for cases where first-line treatments are unsuitable, are still used too frequently. They account for 41% of consumption, well above the target ceiling of 20%.
Belgium has already introduced several measures to improve antibiotic use, the organisation noted. Since 2021, the national One Health action plan has aimed to tackle antimicrobial resistance by taking account of the links between human health, animal health and the environment.
Quality indicators and individual feedback on antibiotic prescribing have also been introduced to support doctors.
From 2027, the dispensing and pricing of antibiotics will also be adjusted more closely to the length of treatment.
Ahead of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day and World AMR Awareness Week, the Independent Health Insurance Funds called for stronger support for healthcare providers to encourage more prudent prescribing and better alignment with current recommendations.
