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Info Service on Health Issues (May26/05) New consensus document on AMR education positions children as agents of change A new global consensus document on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is calling for AMR awareness and stewardship to be integrated across school systems and everyday learning, arguing that tackling drug-resistant infections requires wider societal engagement. The document, A Global Consensus on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Through Education: What do children and adolescents need to know to act as agents of change?, was developed through a collaborative process led by the Fleming Initiative, in partnership with Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. It was shaped with contributions from experts across regions, including the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), and offers a unified vision for how children and adolescents can be empowered as agents of change in the fight against AMR. Released amid growing global concern over AMR, the framework highlights education as an important part of addressing antimicrobial resistance, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies as one of the most serious global health threats. The consensus provides a clear, evidence-informed framework outlining what young people aged 5 to 18 need to understand about AMR, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship, and how these concepts can be integrated into school and community learning. It is designed as a global reference that can be adapted to national and regional contexts. The framework emerged from a year-long global conversation convened by the Fleming Initiative. Across three open meetings held in early 2025, more than seventy experts in AMR, education, behaviour change and community engagement came together to share experiences and discuss what effective AMR education should look like. The document adopts a One Health approach, highlighting the links between human, animal and environmental health. More broadly, the document underscores the importance of awareness and education, identified as a key pillar of the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR, in building informed communities that can play an active role in addressing antimicrobial resistance through behaviour change and stewardship. See PAHO/WHO news release here: https://www.paho.org/en/news/23-4-2026-global-consensus-launched-strengthen-antimicrobial-resistance-education-children-and With
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