Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or drug resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign that is celebrated annually to improve awareness and understanding of AMR and encourage best practices among the public, One Health stakeholders, and policymakers, who all play a vital role in reducing the further emergence and spread of AMR.
This year’s theme “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together” encourages multi-sectoral collaborations to strengthen preventive measures addressing AMR