World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week 2025

Message of WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohamed Yakub JANABI

Each year, millions of lives are put at risk because medicines that once cured infections no longer work. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is silently undermining decades of health progress. The World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) celebrated each year from 18-24 November,offers us all the opportunity to join hands to confront one of the most pressing global threats of our time. This year's theme, "Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,"is a strong reminder that we all have a part to play. Together as a strong and resolute collective under the one health approach banner, we must act with urgency to address this silent pandemic, preserving the gains made over the years in strengthening our health systems, ensuring sustainable food security, economic development and improving overall health and wellbeing. AMR is everyone's business

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is not just a health or medical issue, it is a complex, multisectoral, systems-based burden that affects everyone and all facets of our society and therefore calls for an all-of-society-based response. AMR, known more commonly as "drug resistance", occurs when disease-causing germs become resistant to conventional medication, making infections harder to treat, and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. In our region, this is not a far-off crisis; it is here now and causing significant morbidity and mortality.

Antimicrobial-resistant infections caused 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined, withhighest mortality rates recorded in sub-Saharan Africa^[1]. Four major bacterial pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli(E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus) were each,individually responsible for over 100,000 AMR associated deaths. In 2021, there were1.14 million deaths directly linked to AMR globally and the highest mortality rates were again recorded in sub-Saharan Africa^[2], underscoring the need for urgent action.

The inappropriate use of antimicrobials in humans and animals, coupled with continuous challenges in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and limited diagnostic capacity, is accelerating the crisis across our 47 Member States. We must therefore ensure that awareness and education are foundational to our collective efforts against AMR. Addressing the underlying key driver of AMR-inappropriate use begins with a solid education foundation that promotes understanding of AMR which is key to catalysing positive behaviour change.

WHO's unwavering commitment to address AMR is vital to ensuring critical outcomes in the areas of climate change, food security, primary healthcare and the effective management of health emergencies and disaster, non-communicable diseases. Through strong collaboration with our quadripartite partners, all 47 Member States have multisectoral National Action Plans (NAPs) on Antimicrobial Resistance to guide coordinated action on the ground. A strong governance and coordination system is indispensable to effective implementation and transformation on the ground. Working with the quadripartite, WHO has led leadership skills trainings for over 220 personnel from 20 countries aimed at better governance and coordination for sustained and results-oriented NAP implementation.

In addition, 25 Member States (53%) are registered to and leveraging the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) to inform key interventions and policies on AMR.These advances demonstrate the power of national commitment, backed by accurate data and cross-sector collaboration, in the fight against AMR.

WHO is also supporting countries to leverage strategies to optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines while mitigating the spread of infections. In this regard, 32 Member States (68%) are implementing a core package of interventions aimed at optimizing the responsible use of antimicrobials in communities and health care facilities.

Effective and sustainable action on AMR hinges on strong country ownership. As a result, WHO continues to expand its education, awareness and stewardship webinar platforms for countries and key regional stakeholders to showcase results from implementation at country and regional level. This year over 18 countries have participated, gaining skills from other countries, stakeholders and experts on how to develop, package and position campaign messages and skills on how to implement sustainable national and hospital-based integrated stewardship, IPC/WASH programs in resource constrained settings.

AMR is everyone's business, and we must all take concrete steps to mitigate its spread. Doing nothing is not an option. AMR is here and we must act now. We call on:

For Governments & Policymakers: Prioritize Funding: Domestic resource mobilization is vital for sustaining the implementation of NAPs over the long term. Governments should work to translate commitments into sustained domestic financing.

For Health Professionals: Be a Champion against AMR: Prescribe and dispense antimicrobials responsibly using available evidence and national guidelines and only when needed. Practice good hand hygiene, implement and uphold infection prevention standards.

For Environmental/Regulatory authorities: Reduce Environmental Spread: Promote and enforce improved standards for management antimicrobial waste from hospitals, antimicrobial manufacturing sites to limit the release of antimicrobial residues into our water bodies, soil and food.

For Civil Society Organizations: Be the bridge builders and Mobilizers against AMR: Serve as Behavior Championswho promote hygiene and appropriate use of antimicrobials, Accountability Watchdog ensuring that governments and industry meet their commitments in the fight against AMR, Equity Champions by ensuring that vulnerable populations' have access to quality care and medicines, and Knowledge Champions who translate complex AMR jargon into community action.

For the Public and Communities: Be an Antimicrobial Caretaker:Do not buy antimicrobials from the street corners or without prescription, do not self-medicate or share medicines or use leftover medicines. Always seek advice from a qualified health professional. Complete the full course of any prescribed medication and practice good hygiene, including frequent handwashing. We all have a role to play. AMR is everyone's business.

For Youth and Students: Be the Change Agents for a Future Where antimicrobials Still Save Lives: You matter, and your voice can effect change. Learn about antimicrobial resistance and share accurate information with your peers. Use antibiotics only when prescribed and always complete the full course. Promote good hygiene, vaccination, and clean environments at school and in your community. Use your social media to raise awareness, fight misinformation, and inspire responsible behavior.

Our collaboration with FAO, UNEP, WOAH, Africa CDC and AU-IBAR in the joint annual World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) commemoration has been instrumental in creating a unified continental front for amplifying and delivering harmonized messages to promote awareness, education, and behavioral change among diverse stakeholders in addressing antimicrobial resistance.

Together, through One Health action, innovation, and accountability, we can mitigate the silent pandemic of AMR and secure a healthier, safer future for Africa and the world.

Learn more:

• World AMR Awareness Week 2025
• Description of WAAW 2025 theme
• WAAW 24 24 June25 01.cdr
• WHO: Resist AMR
• Antimicrobial resistance - a threat to the world's sustainable development
• Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance
• Regional strategy for expending the implementation and monitoring of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance, 2023-2030 in the WHO African region
• Monitoring progress on antimicrobial resistance in the WHO African Region: tracking AMR country self-assessment survey (TrACSS) 2023 results for human health indicators
• Status of antimicrobial resistance education and awareness in the WHO African Region 2017-2021
• Gaps in the implementation of national core elements for sustainable antimicrobial use in the WHO-African region
• Monitoring progress on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) response in the World Health Organization African region
• AMR Status in Africa from the One Health approach perspective
• Tracking AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS) 2022 Results
• Training on Global Antimicrobial Resistance and use Surveillance System (Glass 2.0) and WHONET