The annual World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week, observed from November 18 to 23, was marked in the University of Ibadan (UI) with a series of activities, beginning on Monday 18th, 2024.
Organized by the Students’ One Health Club, the AMR Club UI, UIMSA, and other student bodies, the week’s theme, “Educate, Advocate, Act Now,” was highlighted via an array of activities, including a visit to a poultry farm on Monday 18th, followed by a radio show on November 19th, and a Health Walk around the university campus on November 20th.
The Health Walk commenced at the University of Ibadan’s main gate, with participants including students from UI and the University College Hospital (UCH). Volunteers held placards with messages about AMR, distributed informational flyers, and educated passers-by on the dangers of drug misuse and how AMR can be prevented. The procession made stops at student hostels, with a central speaker set up to ensure the message reached the campus community effectively.
Speaking on the importance of the health walk, Abu-Idris Meliat, the Vice President of UIMSA, stated, “With the way the world is going, people are getting very close to having resistance to these drugs, and once that happens, it’s a very dangerous thing to fight.”
One of the event organizers, Salawu Glory, highlighted some challenges in the fight against AMR, including limited funding and the need to extend awareness campaigns to rural areas. She noted that indiscriminate antibiotic use among farmers and livestock rearers poses a significant hurdle. “We’re coming to a period where antibiotics will no longer work. What then will be the hope of medicine?”
The health walk lasted approximately two hours, but activities for the week are far from over. A webinar on AMR is scheduled for today, November 21st, followed by a visit to an abattoir on November 22nd, and a symposium at the Faculty of Social Sciences on November 23rd.
These events aim to further educate, advocate, and inspire action against AMR in line with the week’s theme.
Gloria Nelson
