World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 — Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance

Abstract

Celebrated between November 18-24 each year (2), WAAW aims to increase awareness of global AMR and to encourage best practices among the general public, healthcare workers, farmers, animal health professionals, and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and dissemination of drug-resistant infections. In May 2015, a global action plan to tackle AMR was endorsed at the World Health Assembly, supported by FAO and OIE. The first objective of the plan was to "Improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training." To help achieve this objective, the FAO, OIE, and WHO (collectively known as the Tripartite) have jointly supported WAAW since 2015, together with the general public, students, policymakers, and professionals from various sectors across the world. The overarching slogan of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week continues to be "Antimicrobials: Handle with Care". WAAW is celebrated from November 18-24 every year, endorsing the following campaign objectives: 1) Position AMR as a globally recognized crisis with meaningful engagement across all sectors -human, animal, plant, and environment as the One Health approach, where inappropriate use of antimicrobials in both humans and animals is contributing to the problem and no sector can tackle the problem in isolation; 2) Raise awareness to protect antimicrobial sustainability through prudent and responsible use; 3) Highlight the roles and responsibilities that individuals, governments, professional societies, and organizations in human, animal, environment, and plant health play in addressing and tackling antimicrobial resistance; 4) Encourage behavioral changes that will result in the prudent use of antimicrobials across all relevant sectors and convey the message that simple and sensible actions can make a positive impact.

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