World Antibiotic Awareness Week – 18-24 November

by | Oct 27, 2022 | Health Assessments, Uncategorised, Workplace Education

November 18th – 24th is Antimicrobial Awareness Week.  The overarching message for Antimicrobial Awareness Week in 2022 is Antimicrobials: handle with care and the theme for 2022 is Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together for the food, animal, agriculture and human health sectors.  (Source: Safety and Quality.gov.au)

According to the World Health Organisation (2020), World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) aims to increase the awareness of global antimicrobial resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

Antimicrobial Awareness Week is an opportunity to focus on, and promote, the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials in your health service or hospital and note the challenges of antimicrobial resistance to safe, quality health care provision.

 

What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines.

 

WHO has outlined five goals about global antibiotic resistance including:

  1. Raising awareness
  2. Increasing monitoring and research
  3. Reducing infections
  4. Making the best use of antimicrobial medications
  5. Committing to “sustainable investment.”

 

Facts about antibiotic resistance

  1. Antibiotic resistance is a global issue
  2. Antibiotic resistance can affect anyone, of any age, in any country
  3. Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process.
  4. Resistance can be caused by using antibiotics inappropriately
  5. A growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis – are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective
  6. Poor-quality Medicines can contribute to resistance
  7. Better infection prevention and control can help reduce antibiotic resistance

 

Whilst antibiotics have their place and are effective when correctly used, we all have a part to play in helping to preserve the power of antibiotics with our knowledge.