World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Global Collaborations and Collective Action - NDPHS

©WHO

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Global Collaborations and Collective Action

20 November, 2023

The collaboration of different sectors and the message that AMR is a fight we need to take together as it affects everyone is reflected in this year’s World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) theme “Preventing AMR together” organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). AMR is the ability of bacteria to combat the action of one or several antimicrobials. Without effective antibiotics, we could return to the ‘pre-antibiotic era’, and it would be difficult, if not impossible to safely perform various medical procedures and treat infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that every year, over 35 000 people in the European Union, Iceland and Norway die from infections resistant to antimicrobials – an estimate that has increased in recent years. Read stories from people whose lives were dramatically changed by antibiotic resistance. The health burden of infections resistant to antimicrobials is comparable to that of influenza, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. Addressing AMR requires a One Health approach, meaning a holistic and multisectoral work where everyone collaborates to fight AMR.

In partnership with the WAAW, ECDC every year organizes the European AMR Awareness Day (EAAD). This year’s focus is on the targets established in the recently adopted Council Recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach. The targets are an effective way to monitor progress and achieve goals related to the prevention and reduction of AMR up to 2030.

AMR is one of the thematic areas of the NDPHS and the topic has been prioritized by the Swedish Chairmanship of the Partnership. To address this public health threat, the work of the NDPHS AMR Expert Group increases knowledge and understanding of antimicrobial resistance among policymakers and healthcare professionals. On January 16, 2024, the thematic Side Event to the NDPHS Partnership Annual Conference “Connecting science and well-being: Addressing antibiotic resistance through prevention and health promotion” will investigate how preventive measures can be used to tackle this global health concern. The work of the NDPHS Expert Group on AMR in collaboration with the NDPHS Secretariat and the Swedish Chair is to foster a vital connection with initiatives like the EAAD and WAAW and to collectively drive informed policies and action. The EAAD and WAAW underscore the collective effort needed to combat antimicrobial resistance, resonating with the mission of the NDPHS, which advocates for knowledge sharing and joint research to address this global health threat.

 

AMR impacts every individual, urging us to act collectively in preventing its rise. By spreading awareness about AMR together, we can build a united front against the antimicrobial resistance challenge.

Read more

Text: Josefin Ogne, the NDPHS Secretariat

Other News
Registrations open to the Thematic Side Event of the Partnership Annual Conference on January 16, 2024
The NDPHS Expert Group on Antimicrobial Resistance in collaboration with the NDPHS Secretariat and the Swedish Chair invite you to the conference in Stockholm about the prevention of antibiotic resistance by using health promotion and behavioral insights.
30 October, 2023
Fall 2023 Newsletter
30 October, 2023
Policy Area Health in the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2023
The 14th EUSBSR Annual Forum, organized in the City of Riga on 4-5 October, invited participants to celebrate and reinforce multilevel cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The official programme included the joint PA Health and PA Education workshop and the kick-off event for the project – “Economy of Wellbeing of People”, financed by the Swedish Institute. 
27 October, 2023
Arts on Prescription pilot programmes started in cities and regions in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia and Sweden
Public authorities and cultural and health institutions have started their first out of three piloting phases in October 2023. The idea behind the Arts on Prescription concept is that people dealing with mild to moderate mental health problems get a prescription not for medicine or therapy, but for taking part in creative and participatory activities in group settings.
20 October, 2023
The NordAN Conference and 2023 resolution: Upholding the alcohol retail monopoly system in nordic alcohol policy
The Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network (NordAN) conference on 5-6 October 2023 in Tallinn, Estonia was organized under the theme "Rethinking Addiction: Policy, Prevention, and Progress". The 2023 resolution was adopted during the NordAN General Assembly meeting on October 5.
10 October, 2023
MentalHealthMatters partners tackle challenges and gaps related to mental health at work
Since the beginning of the MentalHealthMatters project in August, the partners in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Norway have been working with policymakers, employers, employees, researchers and other stakeholders to identify the national gaps in data and policy related to workplace psychosocial risks. Read what happened when the partners got together to discover the joint gaps and challenges.
28 September, 2023
The NDPHS Expert Group on HIV, Tuberculosis & Associated Infections welcomes a new International Technical Advisor
The NDPHS family is pleased to welcome Ms Marja Suomela from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare as the new International Technical Advisor (ITA) of the HIV, TB & AI Expert Group. Read our express interview with Ms Suomela about her thoughts on the topic and what the Expert Group has on its agenda for the months and years to come.
12 September, 2023
All News >