World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat today, and one that has been recognized as a silent pandemic. More and more antibiotics are becoming ineffective, and infectious diseases are becoming difficult to treat due to this phenomenon. Researchers estimated that 4.95 million deaths were associated with, and 1.95 million deaths directly attributable to bacterial AMR across the world in 2019.  Apart from health, AMR is also likely to heavily impact livelihood and economies. 

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign that is celebrated every year from November 18-24 to create awareness and understanding on the issue. This year, the theme of WAAW is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together” which highlights the importance of strengthening preventive measures to address AMR by working together through a One Health approach. 

 The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been celebrating the WAAW for several years now. This year too, CSE is marking WAAW with a week-long campaign under the theme ‘One Health through Prevention’. 

Why One Health?
AMR is a One Health issue. It accelerates due to the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in human health, animal health, food-animal production, aquaculture and crop production. The environment plays a significant role with waste from farms, factories, community and healthcare settings contributing to the emergence and spread of AMR through environmental routes. The global momentum to address AMR is largely driven by stakeholders from human health, and animal sector to some extent. It is important that the issue is addressed holistically through concerted efforts from all these sectors.  

Why prevention?
Prevention implies the adoption of strategies and approaches that can reduce the need for antimicrobials. For example, in human health sector, better sanitation, access to clean water and appropriate hand hygiene can reduce chances of infection and need for antimicrobials. Similarly, better biosecurity, timely vaccinations, use of alternatives and appropriate waste management can prevent infectious diseases in food-animal production systems. The prevention agenda therefore means preventing pollution and overuse of chemicals. It provides a cost effective and easy option to contain AMR, particularly for low and middle income countries which are resource constrained and who cannot afford the heavy cost of clean up after polluting. 

Key events planned:

• Go Blue for AMR campaign where CSE colleagues in a mark of solidarity and support for WAAW, will go blue at work.
• Down To Earth publication on Ethnoveterinary Medicines as a potential alternative to use of antibiotics in Indian diary sector 
• AMR Special Webinar

Ethnoveterinary medicine: An alternative to antibiotics for the dairy sector Click here

To register for the AMR Week Webinar, please visit click here

• Down to Earth Exclusive AMR page for WAAW 22 featuring articles contributed by global and national experts on different aspects of AMR issue
  
  

 

For more details, visit the event and publication websites and pages listed here or contact:

Deepak Bhati
Deepak.bhati@cseindia.org
9899818198

Gauri Arora
gauri.arora@cseindia.org
99996 80039

Sukanya Nair
sukanya.nair@cseindia.org
88168 18864 

To view Down to Earth articles, please Click here