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Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week

November 20, 2023
Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 threats to global health, according to the World Health Organization. The immense scale of the problem is why from November 18-24 we celebrate World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, a week to bring attention to the dangers of AMR and promote united action to prevent its spread.

Antimicrobial drugs that can treat and prevent infections are the cornerstone of modern medicine. However, our ability to treat and control infections is being threatened by the growing spread of antimicrobial resistance—when microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites gain the ability to resist medications. 

When infections stop responding to medication, patients may be forced to use second- or third-line medications that are more toxic and have more serious side effects. In some cases, the microbes become resistant to multiple drugs, making infections even harder or impossible to treat. A relatively recent Lancet study estimated 1.27 million deaths were attributable to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in 2019.

AMR occurs when microbes evolve genetic changes that allow them to survive microbe-killing drugs. AMR then spreads as those microbes share genetic material and reproduce. While this process does occur naturally, the development and spread of AMR has been greatly accelerated by humans, mainly through the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medications in humans and livestock. The spread of AMR has also been closely linked to pollution from wastewater and agricultural run-off; lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; and poor disease control and prevention among humans and animals. 

AMR is a global problem, but the burden falls disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries. This year’s World AMR Awareness Week theme, “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together,” emphasizes collaboration between countries and between sectors in pursuit of a One Health strategy—an approach that recognizes how the health of humans is intertwined with the health of animals, plants, and the environment. To learn more about AMR and the actions being taken to prevent its spread, explore the selected resources below: