The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global health and socioeconomic crisis. It has significant impacts on human and animal health, food production and the environment.
During the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 we travelled 293.2 km to Dakawa, Morogoro-Tanzania, as part of our efforts to raise awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Our campaign focused on delivering actionable messages that community members can do to combat AMR. We successfully reached approximately 10000 pastoralists in this hard-to-reach area.
In the Morogoro region, the Maasai community primarily inhabits the Mvomero district, where the majority are pastoralists. Mvomero is home to about 18,000 livestock keepers, managing an impressive 201,410 cattle, 84,184 goats, 13,627 sheep, and 2,128 donkeys. We used mixed innovative approaches to deliver messages. We empower a group of Maasai who can understand and grasp AMR messages in Swahili language so that they can deliver the messages in Maasai language to their community; we included traditional dance aspect that attracted attention and community engagement. We also distributed hand washing backets to influence hand hygiene as a way to prevent and control infections.
Through this campaign, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting against AMR. We believe that raising awareness and equipping communities with the knowledge to act responsibly is crucial in mitigating the risks associated with antimicrobial resistance. Together, we can ensure a healthier future for both people and animals.
