World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is annual event to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through effective communication, education and training. The aim is to encourage best practices among everyone in reducing the further emergence and spread of AMR.

AMR occurs when bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi become resistant to antimicrobial medicines that are used to treat the infections they cause. As a result of AMR, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections increasingly difficult – or even impossible – to treat.

This year’s theme for WAAW – Educate. Advocate. Act now – calls on the global community to educate stakeholders, advocate for bold commitments and take concrete actions in response to AMR. The 2024 United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance and the 4th Global High-level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, for instance, provide a critical window of opportunity for political and financial commitments, as well as increased accountability in response to AMR. Stronger political leadership, advocacy and accountability are needed at all levels and the time to act is now, with the overarching message that AMR is everyone’s responsibility.

In this context, the WHO/Europe led campaign, #Stories_of_AMR, represents a collective call to action, urging everyone to play a part in using antimicrobials responsibly and increasing efforts to curb the emergence and spread of infections. Stories of AMR embraces a people-centred approach by bringing together a collection of first-person accounts from all 53 Member States of the Region, giving compelling insight into people’s lived experiences and views related to AMR.

Everyone from patients to health-care workers, farmers to pet owners, young people to retirees, are encouraged to join WHO to educate, advocate and take action.

Here are a few examples of how to contribute:

join and share the #Stories_of_AMR campaign on social media;

consider simple things you can do to prevent the development of resistant infections, such as maintaining good hand hygiene;

take the AMR Quiz to test your knowledge;

post and/or repost the WAAW materials in the campaign package below on social media;

for decision-makers or professionals involved in AMR control, explore the “Resource guide for the implementation of the Roadmap on antimicrobial resistance for the WHO European Region 2023–2030”, with 53 evidence-based interventions to choose from.

It’s not too late to take action!