The global and regional burden of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is alarming. In 2019, 4.95 million deaths globally were attributed to drug-resistant bacterial infections, with 1.27 million directly related to AMR – more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. – (World Health Organization)
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign celebrated annually from 18 to 24 November, to raise awareness of the risks posed by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, and to encourage more responsible use among the public.
This year, Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) joined the Ghana Ministry of Health, to commemorate the week-long celebration with support from other organisations like the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Organization for Animal Health. The theme for WAAW 2022 was: “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”.
The Executive Director of HFFG, Mrs. Cecilia Senoo, spoke on behalf of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Ghana. In her address, she stated that CSOs in the country play a critical role in reducing the spread of AMR at the community level.
She urged Civil Society to continue to mainstream and integrate Antimicrobial Resistance education into their community interventions to end the global AMR threat.
“We (CSO) are empowered to respond to the needs of Antimicrobial Resistance at the community level and national level. We must think of the vulnerable populations such as mothers and children, community farmers, market women, and all who are at high risk of developing resistance, providing them with the necessary education in the prudent use of antibiotics.”
She also advocated for domestic resource mobilization to alleviate the burden of such challenges.
Community AMR Education
As part of the 2022 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week commemoration, HFFG embarked on a door-to-door, and one-one education on the correct use of Antibiotics to avoid antimicrobial resistance in Sunyani, in the Bono East Region of Ghana.
The aim of this grassroots activity was to educate artisans, shop owners, and other members of the public on the negative effects of the misuse and abuse of antimicrobials.
In the Greater Accra Region, HFFG also embarked on AMR education at the Kaneshie Market.