2020-12-15
Online activity marked World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in 2020. This to help address the current pandemic of Covid-19 - and - at the same time - put focus on the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance. Still, ReAct leaves this year's World Antimicrobial Awareness Week behind with a smile on its face. A week of interaction and intensified work on antimicrobial resistance is really motivating and strengthening - for a world free from untreatable infections.
What is the difference between antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial medicine alongside antivirals, antifungals & antiparasitic agents.
Resistance development to all of these medicines 👉🏿 antimicrobial resistance.
Resistance development in bacteria only 👉🏿 antibiotic resistance.
WAAW ReAct Africa: Engaging civil society and students
ReAct Africa joined and partnered with various civil society and intergovernmental organisations in the region to commemorate this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week through various activities held mostly online due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read article
Blog post on antimicrobial resistance and cancer
Blog post by Mirfin Mpundo, Director ReAct Africa on the theme: The impact of AMR on cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Published on The Union for International Cancer Control’s (UICC) website. Read blog post.
ReAct Africa, Africa CDC and African Union working together
Listen to civil society voices on antimicrobial resistance and actions from the African Region.
ReAct Open Letter: 5 key points to One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
24 November, the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance was announced by the United Nations Tripartite organizations World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Organization on Animal Health. ReAct has written an open letter to the Group’s co-chairs their Excellencies, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. Read article.
Opinion editorial in Swedish Medical Magazine: cancer care and antibiotic resistance
Opinion editorial in Swedish Dagens Medicin (a magazine for health care professionals) focusing on the importance of effective antibiotics for patients with cancer. Read opinion editorial (in Swedish).
WAAW in Indonesia: Focus on One Health approach to AMR
Social media campaigns, webinars and a workshop for journalists on the One Health approach marked the start of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in Indonesia. Due to the spread of COVID-19 no physical gatherings of any kind were organized and all events were done virtually. Read article.
Animal welfare and antibiotic resistance in food animals (article in ReAct Newsletter and shared in social media)
One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has devastated lives and economies throughout the world, is greater public awareness of the link between human interaction with animals and the transmission of dangerous new pathogens. While the emergence of a virus like COVID-19 is a relatively rare event, on a more routine basis the extensive use of antibiotics in farming of food animals produces antibiotic resistant bacteria that may lead to therapy failure with a negative effect on animal health and welfare. Read article.
Innovate4Health’s 32 finalist teams: For social innovations to address emerging infectious diseases!
COVID-19 has exposed the fault lines in many health systems and the challenges this poses for addressing emerging infectious diseases, from drug-resistant infections to COVID-19. In our era of globalization, outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases are expected to become more common. This can be a chance to transform communities and health systems and make them resilient to the rising tide of emerging infections and promote health equity. Previous years of Innovate4AMR student competitions organized by ReAct have demonstrated that students can be champions for antimicrobial resistance. This is why we called on students to take up the challenge and become the future innovators in Innovate4Health, a global design sprint to address emerging infectious diseases. Read article.
Youtube interview on Down to Earth’s channel
Anthony D So, Director ReAct North America, explains the global policy-making efforts and governance on antimicrobial resistance. This on Down to Earth’s Youtube channel.
New ReAct Report: Treatment of newborn sepsis is threatened – effective antibiotics essential
Neonatal sepsis, a condition caused by the body’s response to infections, affects four million newborns globally every year. It makes up 15% of all neonatal deaths and the majority occur in low-income countries. Alarmingly, and further complicating an already lethal condition, up to 40% of neonatal sepsis cases are due to resistant pathogens. Today, on World Children’s Day, ReAct releases a new report on newborns, sepsis and antibiotic resistance. Read article and download report (PDF).
ReAct Asia Pacific: Winners of 2020 photography competition
We are happy to announce the results of the fourth edition of the photography competition organized by ReAct Asia Pacific and ASPIC Clubs in commemorating World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. It has been a great edition and we thank all the participants for sending in their entries. Read article.
A variety of activities in Latin America!
ReAct Latin America arranges a wide set of activites in the region during all of November. This include activities in the community, with health care professionals, education for school children, and also focusing on farm animals, art and science.
More news and opinion from 2020
- Nurse Dorce, Indonesia: Treating small patients with much love and infection prevention – a success story
- ReAct highlights during World Antimicrobial Awareness week 2020
- ReAct Asia Pacific: Winners of 2020 photography competition
- WAAW ReAct Africa: Engaging civil society and students
- WAAW in Indonesia: Focus on One Health approach to AMR
- Innovate4Health’s 32 finalist teams: For social innovations to address emerging infectious diseases!
- ReAct Open Letter: 5 key points to One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
- New ReAct Report: Treatment of newborn sepsis is threatened – effective antibiotics essential
- Upcoming ReAct Africa Conference: What is the status of the NAPs on AMR in the African region?
- Animal welfare and antibiotic resistance in food animals
- ReAct activities for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020
- Dr. Honar Cherif: My patients can receive 5-10 courses of antibiotics during their cancer treatment
- New ReAct Report: Antibiotic resistance affects men and women differently
- ReAct Asia Pacific: Photo competition for students – health in focus
- 4 take aways from WHO’s first global report on sepsis
- Launch of global student design sprint – Innovate4Health
- World Sepsis Day – antibiotics essential in treatment of sepsis
- The new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe – an opportunity to put public interest first
- 4 key reflections on the recently launched WHO GLASS-report
- Key points from ReAct’s comments to the Independent Panel on Evidence
- ReAct Interview: From zoologist to community engagement on AMR
- ReAct Africa expands
- COVID-19 resolution – a missed opportunity to address global pandemic response more broadly
- What everyone needs to know about clinical research
- New ReAct Policy Brief: Successful cancer treatment relies on effective antibiotics
- Impact of COVID-19 on vaccine-preventable diseases and antibiotic resistance
- ReAct Africa and Africa CDC: COVID-19 webinars
- Antibiotic pollution: India scores a global first with effluent limits
- COVID-19 and AMR – what do we know so far?
- Learning from bedaquiline in South Africa – comprehensive health systems for new antibiotics
- ReAct Interview: How does antibiotics in food animal production end up in the environment?
- Key take aways from CSO workshop on AMR in Kenya
- New fact sheet: Effective antibiotics – essential for childrens’ survival
- Shortages and AMR – why should we care? 4 consequences of antibiotic shortages
- Our microbiome and noncommunicable diseases
- The 2020 AMR Benchmark Report – concerning findings with questionable framing
- 4 key reflections from engaging hospitals in India for antibiotic stewardship
- Teacher Gustavo Cedillo, Ecuador, teaches children about the bacterial world