The Important Role of Young People in Tackling AMR
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health and socioeconomic crisis. Regardless of its impact on human and animal health, food production, and the environment that could happen to everyone, everywhere, there’s still much to be done to raise public and stakeholder awareness. A global online survey of nearly 200 stakeholders from human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors also highlighted the need for increased public awareness and action.(*)
November 18-24 is chosen to be World AMR Awareness Week. This year’s campaign calls on the global community to educate about AMR, advocate for commitments, and take actions in response.
Young people are ideal AMR Ambassadors
Young people are an essential demographic in the fight against AMR. Not only are they the future, but in many contexts, they’ve benefited from science-focused national educational programmes, allowing them access to evidence-based information, including AMR knowledge, thereby becoming AMR advocates.
Young people’s frequent presence on online forums and influential platforms such as social media networks makes them ideal ambassadors for spreading scientific information and awareness about AMR. When empowered, they can effectively communicate with and influence their peers through common channels, using language that appeals to them.
Aiming to drive change through education, Youth Against AMR (YAAR!) project uses a learning framework designed to advocate for AMR awareness at different levels of complexity for several age groups. This framework is a great tool to nurture young people, turn them to be our spokespeople, promote public health and science-based decisions such as seeking medical advice before using antibiotics and understanding the importance of vaccinations.
Sharing YAAR’s approach, “Fighting AMR with Youth,” a new project from OUCRU Nepal, has been engaging youths from diverse backgrounds—including schools, universities, and youth clubs across the Kathmandu Valley—since 2022.
Using interactive approaches, OUCRU Nepal’s Public and Community Engagement team has conducted several sessions between experts and youths, as well as organised public events that attract hundreds of people, such as cycle rallies, walkathons, doodle competitions, oratory competitions, and science cafés.
Youth Advisory Board and Youth Action Research Group
OUCRU encourages young people’s participation through advisory boards and action groups.
The “Fighting AMR with Youth” project receives strong support from its Youth Advisory Board. Discussions with the board helped the team organised engaging events where youth performed funny plays and share personal stories, ensuring impactful and entertaining learning experiences.
Young people’s perspectives are especially important for future preparedness, as they’ll be directly affected by future health crises. In the Southeast Asia Initiative to Combat SARS-CoV-2 Variants (SEACOVARIANTS) project, the Youth Action Research Group plays an important role in identifying communication gaps between policymakers and hard-to-reach communities. They’re developing a framework for effective communication and engagement in future public health epidemics.
Young People’s Strengths: Creativity and Passion
Youth Science Ambassadors, another Youth Engagement project of OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement, has brought fresh ideas to the table. Collab Lab is one of their achievements. As part of the project’s mission to make scientific publications more accessible and understandable, Collab Lab has animated several publications from OUCRU and other research institutes, including projects on AMR in fields such as zoonosis, dengue, and malaria. Collab Lab’s videos typically begin with a relatable situation using informal, youth-friendly language and humorous slang, helping to capture young people’s attention.
OUCRU’s youth engagement isn’t limited to establishing in-house groups; we also partner with local universities and youth organisations to empower young people to develop and execute solutions themselves.
OUCRU’s Public and Community Group in Indonesia has reached out to CIMSA, an organisation supporting and empowering medical students since 2001. With OUCRU’s support, CIMSA members will create a series of 3-minute videos interviewing several people, including young people aged 18-25 and members of the general public aged 26-45. The video will not only look into general understanding of antibiotics, but also address the general behaviours and the problem of antibiotic misuse among Indonesians, thereby promote responsible use, aiming to tackle the common situation in Indonesia where people often buy “a few pills” whenever they feel unwell.
CIMSA-OUCRU’s video also features reactions from Dr Robert Sinto, Sp.PD, K-PTI, DPhil, Scientist, OUCRU Indonesia and RSCM FK UI.
We may face what’s called the Post-Antibiotic Era, an era where we have antibiotics, but none that can effectively kill even simple bacteria. This is referred to as the “silent killer,” as the world is gradually heading toward such a state without us realising it.
– Dr Robert Sinto, Sp.PD, K-PTI, DPhil
For some people, antibiotics are used for general medications every time they’re sick. Is using antibiotics for simple infection good or bad? How do actually antibiotics work until they can become resistant? How can we restrain antimicrobial resistance before facing the post-antibiotic era?
Behavioral change can be advocated through young people.
For World AMR Awareness Week 2024, let’s have a look at young people’s achievements in the fight against AMR alongside OUCRU’s researchers.
By building young people’s capacity and empowerting them to implement these initiatives, we aim to let them to influence their families, friends, and local communities, thereby amplifying the message and leading to long-term habit changes.
Have a look at all Public and Community Engagement AMR materials produced by and for young people as well as local community here.
