“Educate. Advocate. Act now” – What Infection, Respiratory, and Acute Care group (IRAC) has been up to for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health threat. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents (WHO, 2024). Unlike typical ‘outbreaks’ that involve very public displays of infection prevention and control (i.e., the use of personal protective equipment), to many AMR may seem like an invisible problem reserved only for specialists in Infectious Disease. However, its impact is very real and tragic. On the Infectious Diseases Society for America (IDSA) website, countless examples shed light on the human cost of these resistant infections, and how they could be life threatening even for seemingly ‘fit and healthy’ adults (IDSA, 2024).    

But we don’t have to stay on this trajectory. We can ensure that essential antimicrobials, like antibiotics, are still effective for future generations. Indeed, the theme for this year’s WAAW is ‘Educate, Advocate, Act now’ – highlighting how by raising public awareness, we can be one step closer to mitigating the significant health effects of AMR.     

In the IRAC group we conduct multidisciplinary research which ranges from examining alternative treatment options for a variety of common infections to exploring how more prudent prescribing/use of antimicrobials can be encouraged throughout primary care and community settings. Evidently, we are particularly interested in AMR and how it can be halted. Below, please read more about some of the stuff we have been doing during WAAW in sharing knowledge and raising awareness regarding this important work.

Weekly breakdown

Monday 18 November – Dr Gail Hayward presented to an NHS England Webinar ‘Antibiotic sparing strategies for recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)’

Dr Gail Hayward was invited to speak alongside other international experts on AMR. Gail highlighted how “symptoms attributable to uncomplicated UTI are common and account for considerable personal suffering and healthcare resource use. A recent study of over 1.5 million adult women in Wales over a 10-year period reported that 6% had recurrent UTI. Alternatives to antibiotics for the prevention of recurrent UTI are increasingly important to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for treatment of acute infection”.    

Tuesday 19 November - Dr Caity Roleston presented to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) Behavioural Sciences Network

Around 30 people attended her presentation which was titled ‘Qualitative process evaluation of a behavioural intervention package to identify and amend incorrect penicillin allergy records in UK general practice’. The theme for the event was focused on behavioural interventions/research addressing various aspects of AMR.  

Caity’s presentation summarised some of the behavioural work the ALABAMA trial team had developed to support respective behaviour change in patients and clinicians. This was followed by a discussion on the qualitative process evaluation which touched upon how these materials were received.

Wednesday 20 November - Dr Phil Turner and Dr Abigail Moore presented at the Innovations Against AMR 2024 meeting

Group researchers Abi Moore and Phil Turner were invited speakers at the Innovations Against AMR meeting organised by Medilink Midlands in Birmingham. The meeting was attended by innovators and academia and was supported by Innovate UK. Abi and Phil presented the DISCO-UTI and TOUCAN clinical studies which are evaluating novel rapid diagnostics for UTIs in care home residents and in general practice respectively.   

Thursday 21 November - Dr Sarah Tonkin-Crine presented to the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship

The group have over 200 members across Europe and their mission is to promote education and research on the topic of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) by sharing knowledge and experience. The group is chaired by Diane Ashiru-Oredope who is lead pharmacist for AMR at the UK Health Security Agency. 

The webinar was focussed on AMS in primary care and had 4 speakers from 4 countries sharing the latest research on how to reduce antibiotic prescribing. There were 54 attendees.

Sarah talked about the importance of including behavioural science in AMS intervention design and evaluation, which is often overlooked, and designing interventions to address multiple influences on behaviour. She also discussed the importance of planning implementation of interventions for real world contexts (outside of trials) to achieve fit with context and to support adoption and use of interventions over time.  

Useful resources

Thank you for reading about our activities during WAAW. If you want to know more about what IRAC group has done in the past and the current work we do, please visit our webpage here: https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/infection-respiratory-and-acute-care

If you want to learn more about AMR and how you can make a difference, these resources are particularly useful:

• Patient Stories: The Faces of Antimicrobial Resistance – IDSA:
  
• World AMR Awareness Week – WHO
  
• The Financial Times produced this great educational video on antibiotics and AMR
  
• Become an antibiotic guardian here
  

References

IDSA (2024). Patient stories. Available at: https://www.idsociety.org/public-health/patient-stories/patient-stories/ (Accessed: 21 November 2024).

WHO (2024). World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2024. Available at: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-amr-awareness-week/2024 (Accessed: 21 November 2024).