It’s World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week – a time to educate ourselves on AMR and how we can reduce its further emergence and spread.
Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global issue with significant risks to both human and animal health. While the consequences of drug-resistant pathogens threaten everyone, there is a concerning lack of awareness of this issue. That’s why this year’s World AMR Awareness Week (November 18-24) theme is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.” It’s a call to educate ourselves and decision makers on AMR and to take action to reduce our risks.
So, what can you do this World AMR Awareness Week? Here are three actions you can take to fight AMR in your community:
1. Educate: Continue learning and share with friends and family
Knowledge is arguably the most powerful tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. By educating yourself on the issue, you can better understand how everyday choices impact animal welfare and public health.
The more we know, the more effectively we can advocate for a future where antibiotics remain effective, and animals are treated with compassion and respect.
Learn more about the connection between antibiotics and factory farming:
The overuse of antibiotics in farm animals
Report
Antibiotic resistance is a serious global problem, and its connection to the well-being of farm animals is increasingly being recognized.
Fuelling the pandemic crisis: Factory farming and the rise of superbugs
Report
Antibiotic use in factory farming facilitates the development of superbugs, also known as antimicrobial resistance. Superbugs can spread via food, animals, manure and the environment; they post major risks for public health.
6 ways to help reduce antibiotic resistance
Blog
A guide to protecting our future health, planet, and animals.
But don’t stop there! Be sure to share what you learn with your family and friends. It’s important that we are all aware of this critical issue so that we can all stay safe.
2. Advocate: Sign our petition to end factory farming
Factory farming relies on intensive animal confinement, creating environments that demand excessive antibiotic use to keep animals alive in unnatural conditions. This overuse of antibiotics in farming is fuelling the global rise of antimicrobial resistance, posing risks to human health, animal welfare and the environment.
By signing our petition, you’re taking a stand against factory farming and supporting a healthier, safer future for all.
If you want to go a step further, reach out to your local Member of Parliament (MP) and speak with them about the issue. Challenge them to familiarize themselves with AMR and the dangers of factory farming by sharing our report, “The overuse of antibiotics in farm animals”.
3. Act now: Support high-welfare farms and commit to eating less meat
In factory farms, animals are often overcrowded and stressed, which makes them more susceptible to illness. To prevent infections, they are routinely given low doses of antibiotics – a practice that fuels the rise of AMR.
On the other hand, high welfare farms focus on giving animals healthier, more natural conditions, eliminating the need for preventative antibiotics. By choosing to support high welfare farms, you're not only advocating for better treatment of animals but also actively helping to reduce AMR risks.
You can amplify this impact by committing to eat less meat. Cutting back on your consumption of animal products benefits not only the animals, but the planet and your health as well.
Every choice you make counts!