World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (November 18-24) is hosted annually by the World Health Organization. The 2022 theme, “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together“, calls on all sectors to encourage the prudent use of antimicrobials and to strengthen preventive measures, addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and working together collaboratively through a One Health approach.

AMR is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity and it threatens the very core of modern medicine. The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials increases AMR. Here at our Hospital, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and Microbiology Laboratory work collaboratively on the frontlines to promote appropriate antimicrobial use and fight AMR. Some of the local initiatives include Procalcitonin (PCT) Testing and Guidelines, Maldi-Tof and respiratory PCR testing, Microbiology cascade reporting, Antibiogram and the Firstline App (which all Hospital staff can download for free on the App Store and Google Play: www.firstline.org).

To promote awareness of AMR, our Hospital’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program team also invites you to test your antimicrobial and stewardship knowledge with a fun World Antimicrobial Awareness Trivia Challenge!

This Trivia Challenge will be available through the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Firstline App. At the end of WAAW, participants will be entered into a random draw for a Robin’s Gift Card!

For more information, please contact Charlene Wilson, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at charlene.wilson@tbh.net.