News and Opinions  –  2020

New ReAct film: Children at risk – The threat of antibiotic resistance

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2020-12-08

This ReAct film, directed by Staffan Hildebrand, depicts how effective antibiotics are crucial for the survival of children with severe bacterial infections - all over the globe. The short film shows the reality – how children’s lives are at risk due to the threat of antibiotic resistance.

Learn more in 6 minutes. See Children At Risk on YouTube (or embedded further down). Director: Staffan Hildebrand.

Decades of advances to reduce child mortality risk being lost as antibiotic resistance makes bacterial infections increasingly more difficult to treat. Children are dying across the globe because antibiotics do not work – all because of the growing pandemic of resistant infections. The most vulnerable are taking the highest toll from the detrimental consequences of antibiotic resistance.

Life-threatening infections in children are becoming untreatable. Leaders – act now! For a world free from untreatable infections. #AntibioticResistance Tweet this

Protect the most vulnerable

Children At Risk – The threat of antibiotic resistance. Director: Staffan Hildebrand.

The short ReAct film shows the reality – how children’s lives are at risk due to the threat of antibiotic resistance. We visit Dr. Joseph Kathere and Elisabeth Waburi mother-of-two, both in Kenya and we talk to Dr. Nyguen Thi Hoa at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital. Still, the challenges are global and this is addressed by Stefan Swartling Peterson, former Chief of Health, UNICEF.

“The doctors will not have drugs to prescribe to treat their patients, because of drug resistance. I mean it is a disaster – for everyone! And it is important for the policy makers to ensure that the issue of antibiotic resistance is actually addressed as one of the causes of death in every country.”

says Dr. Joseph Kathare, Kenya, in the ReAct film.

“The fact is, in a few years to come, everybody will have a problem. Because we will not have drugs that are responding to common infections.” Leaders – act now! For a world free from untreatable infections. #AntibioticResistance Tweet this

Facts:

  • Antibiotics play a crucial role in all health care and many of us take them for granted. But rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance threatens future care in the community and in hospitals.
  • Every third minute a child dies in sepsis as a result of the resistance.
  • Pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children under five in Kenya. Most of them do not get appropriate antibiotics.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

  • Stefan Swartling Peterson, Professor of Global Health and Former Chief of Health, UNICEF
  • Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and its management and staff

Production:

  • Kenya team: Dr. Mercy Korir – Medical Journalist, Magana Kirera – Video Journalist, Julian Nyamupachitu – Program Officer ReAct
  • Vietnam team: Trang TT Nguyen – Coordinator Filmmaker Hanoi,, Nguygen Manh Hung – Cameraman 1, Nguyen Manh Hung, Cameraman 2, Researcher Linus Olson, Associate Professor Mattias Larsson, Thai Duc Huy, Nguyen Tuan Anh – VTR Technician. From Vietnam National Children’s Hospital: Le thi Ha – Head of Neonatal Department , MD Nguyễn Thị Hoa- Vice Head of Neonatal Department, MD Hoang thi Bich Ngoc – Head of microbiology , Tran Minh Dien Vietnam – Vice director, Le Thanh Hai – Director
  • Sweden team: Roy Rossovich – Cinematographer, Andreas Alfredsson and Sebastian Qvarnström – Editors, Professor Otto Cars, Therese Holm – Communications Manager ReAct

Director: Staffan Hildebrand, with support from the Foundation to Prevent Antibiotic Resistance

Children at Risk: New ReAct film and global survey – ReAct’s asks of leaders!

New ReAct Report: Treatment of newborn sepsis is threatened – effective antibiotics essential

Film with subtitles. Director: Staffan Hildebrand.

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