World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week – 18 – 24 November 2024

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign which aims to increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy-makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Untreatable infections affect everyone.  To preserve the efficacy of these critical medicines, we need to act together.  Please consider the following actions for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week

Action

• Bookmark the new location for the recently updated Primary Care Antimicrobial Infection Guideline, familiarise yourselves with the recommended antibiotics, length of treatments, and additional advice when managing infections in primary care. 
• Prescribe a 5-day course of Amoxicillin 500mg capsules as opposed to a 7-day course, wherever indicated, as per our primary care antimicrobial infection guidelines – more information on antibiotic duration can be found here 
• The RCGP TARGET ‘Treating Your Infection‘ leaflets for common infections are available in 25 languages and in a pictorial format – consider sharing with your patients 
• For further information on WAAW please visit the UKHSA site to visit some of the resources and toolkits that have been developed for both clinicians and patients. 
• Thank you! Non-allergy specialists for looking at these education resources for false penicillin allergy and de-labelling Penicillin-allergy delabelling resources for clinicians practicing in resource-limited settings
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• Consider registering to attend these national online events
  • Mon 18th 4-5pm “Antibiotic-sparing strategies for recurrent UTI” 
• Tue 19^th (12:30 – 1.30pm) “Behind the scenes – driving improvements in WaRe antibiotic use in hospitals”
• Tue 19^th (1.30pm – 2.15pm)”Blood Culture Pathway Optimisation – Translation into practice”
• Wed 20th 2pm – 4:30pm Launch of the ESPAUR REPORT (UKHSA event)
• Thu 21st – (12:30 – 1.30pm) “Recognising infection and improving antibiotic use in people with a learning disability or autism”
• Fri 22nd (12:30 – 1:30pm) – “Launch: Resource for Prescribing Improvement Schemes Concepts
• Further details, including webinar registration links are available via this link World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 – Antimicrobial Resistance Programme – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform