As part of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), 18 to 24 November 2022, we are encouraging the public, health workers and policymakers, to play their role in reducing the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
AMR occurs when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them, making infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease being spread and causing severe life-threatening illnesses or death.
As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective.
Setting broken bones, basic operations, even chemotherapy all rely on access to antibiotics that work. Without effective antibiotics, these routine treatments will become increasingly dangerous.
Did you know antibiotics will not treat most common winter illnesses?
If you're feeling under the weather and suffering from a viral cough, cold or flu, don’t expect to be prescribed antibiotics by your GP.
NHS Kent and Medway Chief Medical Officer Dr Kate Langford highlights the importance of limiting our antibiotic use.
Many mild infections, including those that aren’t caused by bacteria, can get better on their own without antibiotics.
You can also take steps to prevent infections. These include:
- never storing or saving antibiotics for another time
- never sharing antibiotics with others
- taking the full course of antibiotics when they are prescribed by a healthcare professional, even when feeling better
- regularly washing hands, preparing food hygienically, avoiding close contact with sick people, practising safer sex, and keeping vaccinations up to date.
Play your part to help keep antibiotics working. You can also make a pledge about how you’ll do so here.
