WHO is leading a global, multi-year campaign with the theme “Antibiotics:Handle with care”. The campaign will be launched during the first annual World Antibiotic Awareness Week from 16 to 22 November 2015.
The campaign urges people to “handle antibiotics with care”, because when antibiotics are misused or over prescribed bacteria become resistant to their effects, making some infectious diseases difficult - sometimes impossible - to treat.
Tackling antibiotic resistance is a high priority for WHO. A global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, was endorsed at the World Health Assembly in May 2015. The global action plan aims to ensure that the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with safe and effective medicines continues.
The global action plan has 5 strategic objectives:
- To improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance
- To strengthen surveillance and research
- To reduce the incidence of infection
To optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines - To ensure sustainable investment in countering antimicrobial resistance
- WHO is supporting Member States to develop their own national action plans to address antimicrobial resistance, in line with the objectives of the global plan.
