PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), kicks off on Tuesday, November 18 until the 24th. The theme for WAAW 2025 is “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.”
This theme underscores the urgent need to take bold, united action to address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). AMR is already harming our health, food systems, environment, and economies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
It’s not a future challenge. It is happening now. Drug-resistant infections are increasing, yet awareness, investment and action are still falling short, the WHO points out.
WAAW is a global campaign to raise awareness and increase understanding of AMR and to promote global action to tackle the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens. As one of the WHO’s official health campaigns, WAAW is mandated by the World Health Assembly.
The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) says AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antibiotics used to treat a wide range of bacteria, making infections difficult to treat and at times impossible, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
Antibiotics and other antimicrobials play a key role in the success of modern medicine and have greatly improved the health of humans and animals. But overuse and misuse have reduced their efficacy, with more pathogens developing the ability to survive the antimicrobials designed to eliminate them, according to the WHO.
The objective of WAAW is to spread information to different groups within the community and for persons to be able to learn more about AMR, and why it’s a global concern and what impact it could have on Sint Maarten.
Antibiotic medicines were discovered a century ago and have significantly extended average life expectancy. Every day, these essential medicines save millions of lives.
WHO: “Building on the momentum of the 2024 United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AMR, this call to action urges all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, health-care providers, veterinarians, farmers, environmental actors and the public to translate the political commitments into tangible, accountable, life-saving interventions.
“To “protect our present and secure our future”, we must prioritize long-term investment and strategic action in the human, animal and environmental health sectors. Strengthening surveillance, ensuring equitable access to quality medicines and diagnostics, fostering innovation and building resilient systems all require long-term commitment and resources.
“Investment in AMR action is a smart move for a safer, healthier future. Whether it’s a hospital administrator setting up an antimicrobial stewardship team or a farmer adopting sustainable waste management practices, every action counts.
“No matter your role – whether shaping policy, delivering care, protecting ecosystems or raising awareness, “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future” is a shared responsibility. Together, we can keep antimicrobials effective and build a healthier, more sustainable world for the generations to come.”
