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ReAct activities for World AMR Awareness Week 2025

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2025-11-13

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the greatest threats to the health of people and the planet. But AMR is not just a medical problem. Is origin reflects a convergence of environmental, social, and economic factors, including contamination, inequality, intensive production models, and the broad application of antibiotics in medicine and food systems.

World AMR Awareness Week is an opportunity to rethink our relationship with antibiotics and with life itself.

From ReAct, we add our voices to this global movement, highlighting our work across sectors, institutions, and communities in four continents. In the article below, we share some of the activities coming up this World AMR Awareness Week.

ReAct latin america during AMR awareness week. Dressed in blue, with blue balloons and celebrating in front of the latin america sign.

ReAct goes blue for AMR!

ReAct staff will go blue for AMR during World AMR Awareness Week and we will go blue in social media, newsletter and parts of the website.

Learn more about the WHO global color campaign for World AMR Awareness Week! Will you Go Blue for antimicrobial resistance?

ReAct Africa

Youth-in-Action Challenge

15 October to 6 November. Kenya. ReAct Africa, in collaboration with the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Interagency Committee (NASIC) Youth Committee, has conducted a Youth-In-Action Challenge. While awareness of AMR is improving, sustained engagement and action are critical to making lasting change. Over the past year, youths across Kenya have made significant contributions to AMR awareness through community campaigns, digital advocacy, school outreach programs, and innovative local initiatives. This year’s Challenge aims to highlight youth-led actions and impact stories on AMR by documenting and showcasing their efforts over the past year, from November 2022 to October 2023. Entrants will document activities or engagements addressing a specific key issue related to the prevention and containment of AMR. They will also be required to share a brief social media post on X (formerly Twitter) to showcase their activities, using the following hashtags: #WAAW, #AMR, and #AntimicrobialResistance.

Webinar: Strengthening Monitoring & Evaluation capacity for effective implementation of AMR National Action Plans in Africa

11 November. Online. A webinar to address the critical role of the Monitoring & Evaluation component in National Action Plan (NAP) implementation.
The webinar brought together key AMR stakeholders and Monitoring & Evaluation professionals, including ICARS, WHO AFRO, WHO Geneva, and regional public health leaders.

Religious leaders AMR guide launch

18 November. Kenya. Faith leaders play an important role as respected community leaders and influencers across the African continent. As such, ReAct Africa is engaging this important yet largely overlooked AMR stakeholder group to clearly define their role within congregations and the larger community in creating awareness and understanding to address AMR. As part of this intervention, ReAct Africa, with the support of the Ministry of Health, will launch the Religious Leaders AMR Guide during the National High-Level Advocacy and Official WAAW 2025 Launch in Nairobi, Kenya.

Maarifa Kids engagement

November. Busia County, Kenya. ReAct Africa will engage primary school children in two schools in the Western region of Kenya through various activities based on child-learning materials and tools for AMR. Activities will range from performing skits, songs, and other artistic-based genres as a means of creating awareness on the prevention of infectious diseases especially those caused by poor WASH practices, good nutrition, and the proper use of antibiotics, targeting their teachers, parents and other community members.

Antimicrobial stewardship activities

November. Kenya. ReAct Africa, through its antimicrobial stewardship project facilities based in Nairobi and Nakuru Counties, will leverage the ASPIRE Chatbot to conduct patient education and awareness creation on the appropriate use of antibiotics.The week-long activities will also include continued capacity building among healthcare workers in the institutions.

#Tag campaign by students

17-21 November. ReAct Africa, through the youth portfolio, will conduct a social media campaign with tailored One Health messaging under the theme “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together – One Health, One Future.”

WHO CSO Taskforce participation

18 November. Online. As part of the WHO CSO Taskforce, ReAct Africa will participate in the planned launch activities scheduled for the week commemorating World AMR Awareness Week.

Maarifa Kids AMR awareness book reading day

22 November. Lusaka, Zambia. As part of World AMR Awareness Week, ReAct Africa will host a fun and educational story session for children the ReAct Africa Regional Office. Through an exciting story, children will learn how antibiotic resistance develops and what they can do to help stop its spread. The session will include a story narration or short play, interactive questions and discussions, and a creative “Healthy Habits Wall” where children will share ideas on how to stay healthy and protect antibiotics.

Co-implementing a WAAW Campaign with AAA in Zambia

24-26 November. Ndola District, Copperbelt, Zambia. ReAct Africa will co-implement a youth-led World AMR Awareness campaign together with AAA Zambia. The campaign is aims to raise awareness among students on the Copperbelt of Zambia and among marketeers in the Ndola district. This campaign will involve dialogue sessions and awareness on proper antimicrobial disposal practices.

Youth-led online campaigns

24 – 30 November. Online. To commemorate World AMR Awareness Week, ReAct Africa aims to empower AMRLEP 3.0 students to lead impactful, creative, and evidence-based AMR awareness and advocacy campaigns. To amplify youth voices in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. This will be done through practical initiatives, providing a platform for students to translate AMR knowledge into action applying leadership, communication, and advocacy skills gained throughout the program to design and implement innovative, youth-led AMR awareness campaigns.

ReAct Asia Pacific

Awareness session at College

18 November. Pharmacy students at Daleview Pharmacy College in Kerala, India, will enjoy a lecture on “AMR and The Role of Pharmacists”. The students will also get the opportunity to pledge for responsible dispensing. Educational material will be shared with students. This is a way for upcoming pharmacists to be sensitized on their critical role in antimicrobial stewardship and rational use of medicines.

Community Awareness Drive in Delhi (Antibiotic Smart Community)

19 November. The community awareness drive in New Delhi, India (Antibiotic Smart Community) will bring together local residents to learn about the appropriate use of antibiotics. Volunteers will lead interactive discussions on the risks of self-medication and the importance of using antibiotics responsibly. The initiative aims to improve community awareness of AMR and encourage positive behavior change toward rational antibiotic use.

School Painting Competition

20 November. ReAct Asia partner schools in Kerala, India, will host a painting competition with the theme “Antibiotics: Handle with Care.” The event will feature an AMR awareness talk followed by a prize distribution ceremony. This creative activity will help students understand the dangers of antibiotic misuse and inspire them to become young advocates for AMR prevention in their homes and schools.

Awareness Program with the Elderly Community

21 November. An awareness program will be organized for senior citizens, focusing on antibiotic safety and preventive health. The session will include a health talk, distribution of educational leaflets on vaccination and infection prevention, and an interactive Q&A segment. It is expected that participants will gain a clearer understanding of the importance of using antibiotics correctly and maintaining good health practices as they age.

Quiz Competition with Youth Task Force

22 November. An interactive AMR quiz competition will be conducted for members of the Youth Task Force. Participants will showcase their knowledge of AMR and share examples of youth-led awareness initiatives. At the end of the session, AMR Youth Champion certificates will be awarded to recognize and strengthen youth leadership in promoting AMR awareness across campuses and social media platforms.

Community Outreach with Kerala’s Poultry Farmers

23 November. In collaboration with the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) in India, a community outreach program will be conducted for poultry farmers. The training will cover biosecurity practices, antibiotic alternatives, and demonstrations of good farming methods. The activity is expected to encourage farmers to adopt better biosecurity measures and reduce antibiotic misuse in poultry production, supporting One Health objectives in AMR prevention.

Webinar for Primary Healthcare Workers

24 November. A webinar will be held for healthcare workers in primary care settings, featuring expert talks on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and case discussions on rational antibiotic use. The webinar aims to equip participants with practical tools for stewardship and infection control at the primary healthcare level.

Awareness Session at SP Fort Medical College

24 November. The final event of the WAAW series in India will take place at SP Fort Medical College, engaging clinicians and pharmacists from tertiary care hospitals. The program will include a panel discussion on AMS implementation, sharing of success stories, and introduction of digital stewardship tools. The session is expected to reinforce professional commitment to antimicrobial stewardship and encourage wider adoption of digital innovations in monitoring antibiotic use.

ReAct Europe

Workshop Uppsala University students: community engagement 

22 October. Uppsala, Sweden. In the context of World AMR Awareness Week, ReAct Europe held a workshop for 20 international students from Uppsala University’s Masters Program in Infection Biology. The students explored how communities can address antibiotic resistance, identifying barriers such as low awareness and proposing creative solutions – from co-created media and school programs to student-led documentaries and expanded AMR campaigns. Guest speaker was Dr Pablo Estrella Porter from the Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR highlighted youth-led action, inspired participants to strengthen community engagement to address AMR.

WHO CSO Taskforce participation

18 November. Online. As part of the WHO CSO Taskforce, ReAct Europe will participate in the planned launch activities scheduled for the week commemorating World AMR Awareness Week.

Antibiotikaforum

18 November. Antibiotikaforum, Jönköping, Sweden. Antibiotikaforum is an annual conference organized by the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Public Health Agency of Sweden together with the National Collaboration Function against Antibiotic Resistance.It is an opportunity for interested parties from different sectors to meet and exchange knowledge and experiences in antibiotic resistance. This year ReAct’s Anna Sjöblom is one of the presenters.

Toilet Day seminar –  the value of sanitation systems

19 November, Stockholm University, Sweden. Antimicrobial resistance and climate pressures, highlighting the value of sanitation systems for people, society and the environment in different contexts, and how we can share knowledge and learn from each other’s experiences. ReAct Europe’s Andrea Caputo Svensson is one of the speakers. Register for seminar in Stockholm.

Webinar. From Policy to People … and Back Again

19 November. Online. This two-part webinar series by Global Strategy Lab celebrates engagement and collaboration in action, showcasing how people across disciplines and continents are protecting our present and securing our future through community engagement, creativity, and storytelling. ReAct Europe’s Andrea Caputo Svensson is one of the speakers. Register to join this webinar online.

Participation in Global Intergenerational Dialogue on AMR

24 November. In-person and online. ReAct Europe will take part in the planned launch activities of the ‘Global Intergenerational Dialogue on AMR’ – organized by Health Diplomacy Alliance and Geneva Environment Network – bringing together youth and cross-generational stakeholders to shape practical, inclusive One Health solutions for antimicrobial resistance. Learn more and register to join online.

Webinar WHO EMRO: Addressing AMR in fragile and conflict settings

24 November. Online. ReAct Europes’s Anna Sjöblom will be one of the speakers at this WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean webinar, and the launch of a new policy brief on tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The brief provides practical interventions grounded in a people-centred approach, spanning seven domains: infection prevention, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, community engagement, primary and mobile care, and wider determinants of health. The webinar will feature presentations providing insights from country realities.

Date: 24 November
Time: 1:00 pm Cairo
Register for the Zoom Meeting

ReAct Latin America

Empowered Communities, Ecuador

12 November. Ecuador. Youth from the Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine programs at the University of Cuenca will join a unique participatory space to explore, learn, and act on AMR from a One Health perspective. The event will include conferences by professionals on the interrelationship between human, animal, and environmental health, and the connection between the climate crisis and AMR, followed by the practical application of resources from the “School Health and Microbial World” Educational Satchel (Alforja Educativa).

Book Launch!

13 November. Online. Virtual launch of the book, “Hagamos historias, contando nuestras historias” (Let’s Make History by Telling Our Stories), 2025 edition. In a cultural and emotional event, we will share stories written by communities in Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, and Peru, with the participation of artists and youth from different universities in the region.

Innovative Educational Experiences from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia 

18-20 November. Conferences Latin America. Innovative educational experiences from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia will be shared, interweaving science, art, play, and community knowledge to understand and care for the microbial world, planetary health, and antibiotic resistance. The conferences include panels, practical workshops, playful dynamics, experiences with children, school gardens, and artistic exhibitions, fostering active participation and community empowerment.

Community-Government Dialogue

19 November. Bolivia. A dialogue will be held between communities and governmental health organizations in Bolivia, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Environment, AGEMED, the Public Health Society of Bolivia, and the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, among other institutions. This space seeks to generate joint solutions aimed at regulating the inappropriate use of antibiotics in intensive animal farming, promoting more responsible and sustainable practices that protect the health of people, animals, and the environment.

Ceramics Workshop

20 November. Ecuador. The classrooms of the Abdón Calderón N.4 Military School and Las Cumbres School will be filled with creativity, learning, and joy. Children and their families will participate in a ceramics workshop, decorating piggy banks with messages and symbols about health care, bacterial resistance, water, and holistic savings. All of this will be done by integrating ancestral knowledge, a sense of community, and joy as a path to a healthy and fulfilling life. Additionally, the activity will feature a puppet show and the support of students from the Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine programs at the University of Cuenca.

Inter-University Dialogue a

21 November. Bolivia. An inter-university dialogue will be held between the Public University of El Alto and the Higher University of San Andrés. This meeting invites students, teachers, agricultural experts, civil society representatives, and public sector authorities to collectively reflect on AMR, its relationship with food, agricultural production, and the effects of the climate crisis, from a comprehensive One Health perspective.

Let’s Make History by Telling Our Stories: Children from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina

25 November. Online. Children from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina, along with their families and teachers, will gather in a virtual cultural meeting to share their stories about hand washing, infection prevention, antibiotic resistance, and the fascinating microbial world. And that’s not all! These stories will be published in January 2025, so more people can be inspired by the actions and dreams of our little big health caretakers.

Art, recreation and health events 

21 November. Colombia. The Corporación Cultural Canchimalos in Medellín will host art, recreation, and health events, together with children and their families. Through traditional games and materials from the Educational Satchel project, participants will explore the microbial world and the importance of health care in a fun and creative way.

2nd Forum on Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance 

November. Peru. The Faculty of Biological Sciences at the National University of the Altiplano in Puno, in collaboration with ReAct Latin America, will host the 2nd Forum on Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in the context of One Health. During this space, seminars and talks with students on antimicrobial resistance will be developed.

AMR story writing workshop

October to November. Peru. Four sessions. The “Gilda Ballivián Rosado” Public Higher Technological Institute in San Juan de Miraflores will host an AMR story writing workshop aimed at young students. Through this activity, participants will creatively and reflectively explore the impact of AMR on human and environmental health, sharing their experiences and ideas, and learning to communicate the importance of caring for antibiotics and life through narrative and creativity.

Participatory meetings on AMR

November to December. Argentina. Participatory meeting with 60 promoters from the Ministry of Health’s Community Health program, where antimicrobial resistance will be addressed from a community and One Health perspective. The events will offer dialogues between academia and community knowledge, workshops for the socialization of the “School Health and Microbial World” Educational Satchel (Alforja Educativa), and playful activities like games and songs, to understand the role of microorganisms in human and planetary health.

ReAct 20 years celebrations: Release of online catalogue of RLA’s action-research publications

4 December. As part of the commemoration of ReAct’s 20th anniversary we will have a virtual meeting to present the online catalogue of ReAct Latin America’s collaborative, participatory action-research publications on AMR.

Date: December 4th
Time: 5:00 PM Ecuador

Learn more and register to join!

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