University of Hyderabad main-gate lit in blue

On the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week UoH main gate lit in blue.

Students organise walk to highlight Antimicrobial Awareness

 

Celebrated annually, the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policymakers to avoid further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

A global action plan to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines was endorsed at the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2015. One of the key objectives of the plan is to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.

As part of the WAAW celebrated from 18-24 November every year, Students of the School of Medical Sciences (SoMS) at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) organised a walk on the campus with play cards depicting the Antimicrobial Resistance awareness from the Library/Science Complex circle to the main-gate on 24th November 2021.  On this occasion the UoH main gate area was lit in blue.

Prof. B J Rao, Vice-Chancellor of UoH addressed the students after the walk and said, “to minimise the use of antimicrobials and whenever used must go through the complete cycle”. He also called upon the students to use social media to propagate awareness of minimal use of antimicrobials. “Our Medical School is in the forefront of taking up all public health issues and I call upon all in the school to be a pioneer in such kinds of walks and awareness campaigns not only on campus but also outside”, he added.

Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri, President, Infection Control Academy of India speaking on the occasion said,  “I am privileged to be part of this awareness walk to curb menace of AMR. I congratulate UoH and especially SOMS for taking up this initiative. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health and development threat. It requires urgent multispectral action in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WHO has declared that AMR is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity”. “We can look at promoting the novel idea in UoH of being a ‘Smart antibiotic use campus’ ”, he added.

Prof. P. Prakash Babu, I/c Dean, School of Medical Sciences, Prof. Geeta Vemuganti (SoMS) were present on the occasion. Dr. Ajitha Katta, Associate Professor (SoMS) was the Coordinator and the program was attended by the faculty, staff and students of the School of Medical Sciences.