Campus Conversations to Impact: The Aware Wednesdays Campaign, A Journey to Increasing the Profile of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Written by Bridget Ahumuza, Commended Antibiotic Guardian Award winner (June 2025) and Environmental Health student at Makerere University.  

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health challenges of the 21st Century, formerly known as the “silent pandemic” whose effects are rather loud. AMR undermines the effectiveness of medicine leading to treatment failures, prolonged hospital stays, reduced productivity of both patients and caregivers (which has a negative economic impact), increased morbidity and mortality. In 2019, statistics from the World Health Organization show that 4.95 million global deaths occurred associated with AMR and of these 1.27 million were directly attributed to bacterial AMR. AMR is predicted to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Research studies in Uganda indicate that there are still many awareness gaps about AMR in the general public, motivating me to lead and drive awareness campaigns As a public health student passionate about tackling AMR, my journey has been deeply rooted in awareness creation, advocacy, and behavioural change communication.  

Following problem identification, I collaborated with my partner and fellow AMR champion, Ms.Nkurunziza Precious, a dedicated student of Information Systems and Technology. Embracing the fact that AMR is a multidisciplinary problem requiring multidisciplinary action, we designed a university wide AMR awareness campaign called AWaRe Wednesdays, inspired by the World Health Organization’s AWaRe classification of antibiotics; Access, Watch, and Reserve antibiotics. The campaign seeks to spark conversations about AMR, increasing its profile among students at Makerere University in an effort to create more awareness and address the knowledge gaps.   

Every Wednesday, through audiovisual tools like interactive videos and posters, we feature students discussing topics such as AMR in aquaculture, the role of technology in AMR management, infection prevention and control (IPC), and the role of healthcare workers in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Each topic is tailored to the student’s area of study, fostering relevance and ownership. The campaign also embraces the One Health approach, recognizing that AMR is not only a multidisciplinary but also a multisectoral issue.  

Since October, the AWaRe Wednesdays campaign has sparked conversations across the university, creating an environment where AMR awareness is growing among students. The campaign aligns with the fourth pillar of Uganda’s National Action Plan on AMR, which emphasises public awareness, training, and education.  

Reflections from lessons learned following the Commended Health Student of the year award.   

In November 2024, I led a team of Makerere University Environmental Health Students Association (MUEHSA) students in an AMR Awareness Campaign that adopted a people centred approach bringing AMR education to communities in ways they can easily relate to and understand.  

We developed creative content in Luganda, Uganda’s most widely spoken local language, using skits and plays that simplified the concept of AMR. These featured two relatable characters, Maama Naka and Maama Namu, of Kiwonvu Zone, Mulago II Parish in Kampala. Both characters were unaware of the dangers of self-medication and the casual recommendation of drugs to others. Through their interaction with Nurse Liz, Maama Naka learns about the risks of AMR and chooses to seek proper medical care, while Maama Namu remains resistant to change, illustrating the real-life challenge of behavior modification   

The skits, shared on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, attracted significant engagement and sparked discussions on AMR among Ugandan citizens. Viewers shared, commented, and reflected on the dangers of self-medication and the importance of seeking professional healthcare which increased public awareness and demonstrated evidence of behavior change, as seen in Maama Naka’s transformation, proof that education can indeed change lives. This campaign was awarded Commended Health Student of the Year in the Antibiotic Guardian Shared Learning and Awards held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 9th June 2025. This milestone reaffirmed the value of creative communication in spreading awareness about AMR.   

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES   

AMR is no longer silent; its consequences echo across every sector of health and society. But through awareness, collaboration, and creativity, we can rewrite the narrative. As we mark World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) this November, I’m reminded that small efforts whether through campus conversations or community skits can drive big change.  

Aluta continua! Together, we can preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials for generations to come.