The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week(WAAW) is annually celebrated across the globe from 18th to 24th November to create and increase the awareness of global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and to encourage the best practices among the general public, healthcare workers and policy makers to stop the emergence and spread of drug resistant infection.
The theme of the WAAW 2020 for the human health sector is “United to preserve antimicrobials”.
The slogan of the week long campaign of WAAW is “Handle Antimicrobials with Care”.
Background:
i.The European Union(EU) initiated the European Antibiotic Awareness Day in 2008.
ii.The World Health Organization (WHO) joined this initiative in 2012 and extended it to the non-european countries and observed the World Antibiotic Awareness Week since 2015.
iii.This World Antibiotic Awareness Week became the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in 2020.
Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance:
At the 68th World Health Assembly(WHA) held in May 2015, WHA endorsed the “Global Action Plan(GAP) on Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR)” to control the increasing problems of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines.
Aim of the global action plan:
To ensure the continuity of successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with safe and effective medicines, which are used in a responsible way and made accessible to all those who need them.
Objectives:
- To improve awareness and understanding of AMR
- To strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research
- To reduce the occurrence of infection
- Optimised use of antimicrobials
- To develop economic case for sustainable investment that accounts the needs of all the countries & increase investment in new medicines, vaccines and other interventions.
Key Points:
Since the adoption of GAP on AMR, the global Tripartite of the United Nations’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working towards increasing the awareness activities on AMR.
Events 2020:
i.The various regional offices of WHO, International organisations and educational institutes across the globe organises webinars, seminars and other events to address the issues of AMR across the globe.
ii.On 19th November 2020, the Global Malaria Programme (GMP) is hosting a webinar to launch the “Report on antimalarial drug therapeutic efficacy, resistance and response, 10 years of surveillance (2010–2019)
iii.On 20th November the Global REsearch & Development Partnership organised a webinar on “Saving Children’s Lives-Treating Neonatal Sepsis”.
Click here to know more on the events of WAAW 2020
Antimicrobials:
The antimicrobials are the key tools to combat the diseases in humans, animals and plants.
This includes the antibiotic, antivirals, antifungal and antiprotozoal medicines.
Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR):
The Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR) occurs when the bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites resist the effects of medications, this will make it hard to treat the common infection and increase the risk of spread of disease, illness and death.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
