TARGetAMR Marks World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2025

The TARGetAMR Network is pleased to join the global community in recognising World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), held annually from 18th to 24th November. This year’s theme,

“Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,”

Emphasises the urgent need for coordinated, sustained efforts to address the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Highlighting AMR Through Knowledge Sharing

To support this year’s theme, TARGetAMR revisited a curated selection of past webinars that have contributed to AMR awareness and education across scientific, clinical and policy sectors. Throughout the week, the Network shared daily highlights and visual summaries, showcasing key insights into AMR research and its implications across the One Health spectrum.

WAAW 2025 Webinar: “Dangerous Miracle: A Brief History of Antibiotics”

As part of this year’s programme, TARGetAMR hosted a timely webinar on Wednesday 19th November, titled:

“Dangerous Miracle: A Brief History of Antibiotics”,

Presented by Liam Shaw, Computational Biologist, University of Bristol

This session provided a concise historical overview of antibiotics, exploring how their discovery, development and widespread use have shaped modern medicine. The webinar also highlighted the political, economic and social factors influencing antibiotic innovation and stewardship, offering valuable context for understanding today’s AMR landscape.

Why Revisit Past Webinars?

By resurfacing previous talks, we aim to:

• Reinforce the need for continued action, in line with the WAAW 2025 theme
• Provide accessible scientific insights that support awareness and informed decision-making
• Showcase the breadth of interdisciplinary research driving progress in AMR

Reflections from Network Leadership

Professor Willem van Schaik, Co-Director of TARGetAMR, reflected on the importance of this year’s theme:

“TARGetAMR is making the recordings available to all, to ensure that everybody can use them to inform their research and global initiatives against the rising tide of AMR”

Professor Kate Baker, Co-Director of TARGetAMR, added:

“To ‘Act Now’ means empowering people with the insights needed to respond to AMR. These webinars demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary science in securing a safer future.”

Continuing the Conversation

As WAAW 2025 draws to a close, the TARGetAMR Network encourages its community and partners to continue engaging with the webinar materials and resources available through the Network. Sustained awareness and collaboration remain essential to addressing AMR and we hope to continue these discussions in the webinars over the next months, leading up to our in-person TARGetAMR network meeting in May 2026.