WHO: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021

Summary

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week takes place from the 18-24 November every year. On this page the WHO explains what antimicrobial resistance is and provides several short explanatory videos about how this can be prevented.

Content

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites (microbes) no longer respond to medicines, making common infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

Many factors have accelerated the threat of AMR worldwide, including overuse and misuse of medicines in humans, livestock and agriculture, as well as poor access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

Here are some links to several short videos on AMR produced by the WHO for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week:

• What is antimicrobial resistance?
• Why is antimicrobial resistance increasing?
• How can you prevent antimicrobial resistance?